


An Irish Tale

by Leestek



Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms, The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien, Thranduil - Fandom
Genre: Action & Romance, Adventure & Romance, Alpha Thranduil, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Caring Thranduil, Comments are welcome, Daddy Thranduil, Devotion, Everyday Life, F/M, Family Secrets, Fluff and Smut, French-Tudor-Style house, Hot Sex, Ireland, Legolas has just been accepted into a university, Love, Married Life, Minor Character Death, Oral Sex, Parenthood, Past Relationship(s), Past health issues, Pets, Protective Thranduil, Strong Female Characters, Tauriel will mess thing up a bit, Thranduil is a former MI6 agent, Vaginal Sex, almost-step-dad Thranduil, although his wife can be quite dominant herself, any type of sex 'cause Thranduil is sex on legs, badass Oropherion family, boss Thranduil, brother-in-law Thranduil, but I'm not sure yet, but life is life and it's not always easy, family is complete, he now owns an architecture company and is super loaded, husband thranduil, lots of trees and flowers, no major drama, possible future reference to Mirkwood
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-17
Updated: 2019-01-27
Packaged: 2019-05-24 14:40:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 39,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14956568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leestek/pseuds/Leestek
Summary: Thranduil is an architect, former MI6 agent and a vocalist and guitarist of a heavy-metal band, which he had started in high school.Evelyn Safiya Fakhari-Oropherion, - Thranduil's wife with a Phd in Egyptian archaeology - comes back home after two years of being away.Legolas slowly enters adulthood and it won't be long before he becomes independent and starts to think about setting up his own family.It's time when his parents can focus on nurturing and cultivating their love, the everlasting flame of passion and desire burns high and continuously for them.It is a story of love, life and all the small things that make it worth living.It is a tale of everyday life, waking up together, brushing your teeth in the morning, going to work, cooking, dining together, meeting with friends and coming back home to cuddle, dance in the candlelight, fuck or everything at once and more.





	1. Chapter 1

Thranduil gently turned off the engine as he parked his silver Hummer H2, the vehicle taking almost two parking places of the Dublin Airport underground car park. 

He took the key out of the ignition, lifted the sun visor up and got out of the car, the sound of shutting the door and switching on the alarm echoing as he made his way towards the elevator. 

His moves were graceful, but confident, long hair swaying casually at his back as he walked through the crowded hall towards the arrivals terminal in his black jeans and white shirt, a subtle, masculine aroma of an expensive cologne floating behind him. 

Having lifted his head up, he checked the schedule board, his gaze instantly finding the flight MS1676 from Cairo to Dublin. Status: Arrived 16:45. 

He smiled as he took his mobile out of his back pocket and entered a text message. 

***

An, attractive brunette in her mid-30s, 5.7 feet tall, tapped her fingers on the suitcase handle as she stood on the escalator along with other passengers on their way to the arrivals terminal. 

Having placed her enormous suitcase on a step below her, she fixed her meditative gaze somewhere ahead, a mysterious, peaceful smile lingering in the corners of her mouth as she let the multi-lingual clattering around her float in through one ear and out through the other. 

She was wearing a yellow and brown knee-length sleeveless dress, the soft material fitting perfectly her rounded hips and full breasts, her long legs comfortably fitted in brown leather thong sandals, her thick, jet-black hair put in a messy bun by means of a wooden hair pin. 

At the sound of an incoming message, she let go of the suitcase handle, a white travelling label attached to it springing up as she did so, making one of the men standing below her whistle quietly with respect. 

The label said: _Dr Evelyn Oropherion, University of Dublin, member of The International Scientific Expedition to Cairo_. 

She now sunk her other hand in a huge, baggy, leather purse as it was hanging from her tanned shoulder and she tapped twice on the screen of her black Huawei LX1, her full lips curving upwards in a smile as she saw a text message from Thranduil as it consisted of four words: _Come up here, babe_.

Her hazel eyes were filled with peaceful mystery as she put the phone back in her purse and put her hand back on the suitcase handle.

***

“Got ya” - Thranduil whispered as he closed his arms protectively around her soft curves, her hands touching him in a way only she was allowed as she traced them up his chest. 

He cradled her in his arms, her suitcase lying on the floor right where she left it to run and throw herself into his embrace. 

“My sweet… My love...” - he murmured as he stroke her back, her cheek nestled against his broad chest as she inhaled his unique scent. She closed her eyes as he leaned in and started to whisper into her ear in Irish, his melodic accent playing on the deepest strings of her heart and soul.

Sounds, smells and images burst out all around them as people were passing them in both directions, but they could not see nor hear anything except for each other. Immersed in their hermetic, sacred world, they took their time while whispering tender nothings until they could feel it possible to finally pull away and he gasped as she pulled him back down and claimed his lips for a hungry kiss that, to them, lasted not for seconds, but for hours, days, ages.

***

“Uh-oh”, she said as she inspected a small dent in the front passenger door, sparks of amusement filling her eyes at the say-no-more look on his face. “How did it happen?”, she asked, her voice echoing in the deserted underground car park. They were alone, but it was only a matter of time that other passengers would start floating in. 

“Legolas”, was all he said in reply, a trace of resignation in his voice. 

She frowned as she opened the back door and put her purse on the seat. “He’s allowed to take the Hummer?”, she asked as she took a map and Academic Researcher ID out of her purse, closed the door and went back to the front ones to put the items into the glove compartment. 

“Not any more”, he answered as he opened the trunk and was now making some room inside. “He and Tauriel are seeing her parents in Missouri. As soon as he’s back, I’m taking him of town for a few more driving lessons.” - he said as he swiftly rearranged the items inside. “I know, he called me right before I got on the plane. Poor thing, he was almost crying when he told me he wouldn’t be there when I come home” - she said softly as she slowly walked up to him, just in time to see him lift the enormous suitcase up as if it weighed nothing and she dove into the trunk to push some old bags aside so he could stuff the suitcase in, the baggage taking almost the entire space of a huge trunk. 

“Thank you, baby” - he said and hesitated with his hand on the tailgate, his gaze fixed on the suitcase, his voice low as he spoke. “Their flight was cancelled and they needed to take another...” He frowned and inhaled slowly.

“What?”, she asked as she sent him an inquiring look.

“This thing is a menace” - he said silently, something about the tone of his voice making her touch his hand as it was placed on the edge of the trunk, the gesture making him lift his gaze to hers and she frowned at the amount of pain in his ice-blue eyes. “Hey” - she said softly, her hazel eyes looking gently straight into his soul. “It’s just a suitcase” - she whispered as she gently squeezed his hand.

His throat was clenched and she could see tears in his eyes when he answered, her own eyes watering at his choice of words. “It’s you coming and going over the last two years...”

She came closer and he could sense her warmth as she squeezed herself in to stand front of him, her breast pressing against his chest. “I am not going anywhere any more”, she whispered as she stood on her toes and he leaned forward, her lips brushing against his. “I would die if I was to ever leave you again” - she said, her sweet breath caressing his face.

“I need to fuck you” - he whispered, his voice hoarse as he sneaked his tongue into her mouth and she instantly wrapped her arms around his neck, his embrace taking her with him as he took a step back and shut the trunk closed with one hand.

“The back seat or front?” - she asked breathlessly in between the kisses. “Back” - he grunted back, his arms holding her close, their lips still connected, tongues fighting over dominance as he walked her back towards the back door of the car and she pulled away and hoped in as soon as he opened it for her. Already inside, she took off her panties, the sound of closing the door resonating as he got in and she took the her hair pin out, her curls floating down her arms and back in a thick, jet black cascade reaching up the middle of her buttocks when she rose to her knees to straddle him, his hands grabbing her sides instantly and she trembled as he started undoing the buttons of her dress, her skilled fingers opening up his shirt as he did so.

His hands travelled up her sides and she tilted her head back, her nails sinking in the flawless skin of his chest as he leaned in and started licking and sucking on her right nipple through the material of her front close soft, cotton bra. She moaned as he bit her gently, his right hand cupping her left breast, his thumb brushing tenderly against a long, horizontal scar as it was still traceable, even through the fabric. 

Having raised his head, he met her gaze as he gently unlaced her bra and she tenderly stroke his hair while he slowly licked, kissed and sucked on her left breast, his other hand travelling up her thigh and she moaned when he lifted her hips and slipped his fingers underneath her dress, a low rumble escaping his throat when he found her already wet. 

She licked her lips and took a fistful of his hair as he switched to her right breast and was now hungrily devouring her bare nipple while caressing her clitoris with his fingers, his other hand squeezing her side. 

“Fuck, Thranduil...”, she whispered breathlessly as she pulled on his hair, the fluid pooling out of her marking his black jeans with a visible hard-on underneath.

She let her hands travel down his broad shoulders and pushed on his chest to press him against the backrest, fire in her eyes as she started undoing his jeans, the bulge in his underwear throbbing painfully. Having set him free, she leaned forward and looked him deeply in the eyes as she started slowly pumping him, his mouth falling open. “Oh God, Evelyn...” 

She invaded his mouth with her tongue, swallowing his moan as he answered with equal passion, his fingers lacing through her hair. She ground her core against his thigh as she pumped him in a way only she knew how, driving him at the edge of what was bearable in a matter of seconds, leaving him panting hard as she traced her lips against his jaw line.

“I want your huge cock inside me...” - she whispered into his ear, then started licking and sucking on his earlobe, her hand, as it was pumping him, picking up the pace and he slowly tracked his hands down her spine to sneak them underneath her dress and she moaned when he inserted two fingers inside her and started sticking them in and out, more fluid pooling out of her as he did so. 

“Oh, God...”, she moaned as she tilted her head back, the sensation of his fingers sliding in and out of her fanning the fire inside her already burning womanhood. She slowly rose to her knees and took a fistful of his hair as she pressed her open mouth to his.

“I’m gonna fuck you so hard, babe...”, she whispered as she licked his lips, her teeth sinking deliciously in his bottom lip and she pulled on it gently. 

“Ohhh, holly fuck...” - he panted out as she started slowly lowering herself on his shaft and he grabbed her hips to help her keep her position as she stopped with only the head of his member inside. 

It’s been a while.

“Take your time, babe… Take your time…” - he whispered into her ear as he kissed and licked a burning track down her neck, his hands supporting her bum as she slowly continued her way down until he was completely buried inside her. “I love you so much...” - she panted as she gently ground her hips against his while adjusting and stretching herself to his size. “I love you more...”, he whispered, his breath caressing her ear as he throbbed inside her.

They both moaned as she started slowly rising and falling on his shaft, her tight core giving him a hard time trying to hold back his orgasm. 

He leaned forward and started licking and sucking on her swollen nipples, a stream of curses escaping her as he did so. 

“Jesus fucking Christ, Thranduil...” - she moaned breathlessly as she picked up the pace and took a fistful of his hair while pressing his face against her breasts.

A distant sound of switching off the alarm followed by some voices could be heard as someone entered the car park. 

They didn’t care, the sound of their lovemaking being all they could hear. She tilted her head back as she panted heavily, the sensation of Thranduil sucking on her nipple taking her at the edge of what was bearable. At a certain point she could feel his hands travel down her thighs as his mouth left her nipple and she raised her head to watch him lift her dress up, the sight of his glistening member sliding in and out of her making them both moan as they watched, mesmerized. 

The voices started getting louder as someone was approaching, Thranduil getting a glance of a young couple as they stopped next to one of the cars as it was parked near theirs, the girl looking around while her boyfriend was opening the trunk.

A gentle touch on his face made him forget about the couple as his wife cupped his cheek with her hand, her other hand finding his and he could feel her intertwine her fingers tightly with his.

“Let them watch…”, she whispered as she picked up a faster pace, his mouth falling open as he dangerously neared his peak. “I want everybody to see me fuck my husband...”, she panted as she crashed his mouth with her tongue, his fingers tightening around hers while her other hand still cupped his cheek tenderly and he tried his best not to come before she did. 

“Fuck, Eve… I can’t… I...”, he panted, her mesmerizing eyes boring into his. “Shhh...”, she whispered, as she started riding him even harder, pure euphoria slowly filling her eyes, her panting slowly turning into gasps and gasps turning into moans that were rising in pitch as she was getting closer to her bliss, the sensation of her wet, hot core clenching around him driving him insane. “Evelyn… Fuck… Oh, my… Fuck...”, he panted into her hair as he wrapped his arm around her to feel her as close as possible and she leaned into him, their bodies moving in unison, her throat clenching with unshed tears as she finally let them spill and she opened her mouth as she tilted her head back, the look of pure ecstasy written on her face. “Oh, fuck… Oh, fuck… Oh, fuck…! I’m almost… fucking… there…!” She cried out as she came hard and in the same second she could feel Thranduil’s hot seed filling her entire core, his breath blowing through her hair in short, quick pants as he orgasmed deep inside her, with her still riding him as she was drawing the pleasure out for the both of them. 

***

“Here, let me”, Thranduil gently pushed her hands away as he took a pack of tissues from her and used one to carefully wipe the excess fluid off of her thighs and womanhood, small white stains already marking the back seat fabric and his jeans. 

“I’ll put those into the washing machine along with my things when we get home”, she said as she spat on a different tissue and started wiping the stain off of the car seat. He shook his head as he crumpled the used tissue up. “We are not doing any laundry today, the world will not end if the clothes wait until tomorrow to be washed”, he said as she crumpled her tissue up too, her lips placing a gentle kiss on his as he took the used tissue from her and she sat up and to put her panties back on. “Thank you, hun”, she murmured, a quiet rumble resonating in his chest as he kissed her back. “You’re welcome, my love”, he said as he watched her close her bra and put the top of her dress back up, his own fingers quickly doing up the buttons of his shirt. “I’ll just get rid of this and we can go” - he said as he opened the door and she nodded her head, the sound of the back door being shut reaching her ears as she put her hair clip into he purse before crossing the manual gearbox to get to the front passenger seat.

Having placed her purse on her knees, she fastened her seatbelt, her mouth watering as she watched Thranduil going round the car to get to the driver seat. She wanted him again. 

He got into his seat, leaned to the side and she moaned quietly as he took her by the arms, gently pressed her back to the seat and used one hand to hold her head still while devouring her mouth with his lips and tongue in a kiss so deep and sensual, she felt dizzy when he finally pulled away to look her deeply in the eyes. “I am taking you home, woman”, he said as he sat back into his seat and started fastening his seat belt. “Yes, my King”, she whispered breathlessly, a smile appearing on her face as she peacefully watched him turn the key in the ignition, the engine waking up with a low, approving hum and he turned on the CD player, the car leaving the underground car park to the sound of Iron Maiden’s _Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg_.


	2. Chapter 2

“Are we stopping by the grocery store?”, Evelyn asked as they got off the airport communication route, Thranduil checking the side mirror as he pulled into the highway traffic; he changed gear and the Hummer took off. 

“I had already done some major shopping today, before I went to get you”, he said as he checked the rear view mirror, then turned his head to the side and sent her a quick look. “But if there’s anything specific you need, we can stop by, it’s no problem”, he said and she sent him a tender smile as she leaned her head lazily against the headrest “Nah, let’s just go home”, she replied as she leaned forward, grabbed her hair and put it over her shoulder, Thranduil lifting his hand to gently stroke her cheek. “A few more minutes, my love, and we are there with a delicious dinner waiting for you”, he said as he leaned quickly to the side to place a tender kiss on the crown of her head. “What did you cook?”, she asked as she smiled and stifled a yawn. Whatever he had prepared, it was probably pure heaven – as usual.

“I’m not telling. It’s supposed to be a surprise”, he replied as he gently stroke her knee. “Recline your seat and get some sleep. I’ll wake you up when we get there”, he said softly as he flipped the sun visor down and she shook her head, a soft smile lingering on her mouth as she fixed her gaze outside the window. “I prefer to stay awake and relish the feeling of being back home”, she said and he gently took her hand in his. 

For a while they drove in silence, then he turned the music down a little bit. 

“I took a week off”, he said as he brushed his thumb against her skin. “No phone calls, no meetings. Peace, quiet. Just you and me.” He turned his head to take a look at her, sparks of tender amusement clear in her eyes. “What?”, he asked as he frowned. 

“Nothing, I look forward to three days all to ourselves”, she said softly and he shook his head as he turned his head back to the road. “Seven”, he said, his voice hardening. “A week consists of seven days, five of which are working days.” 

“Stop it”, he insisted his gaze shooting thunderbolts as she laughed out loud. “Sorry, babe”, she said as she lifted his hand to her lips and placed a tender kiss on the back of his palm. “I would love to have you all to myself for all eternity, husband. I simply can’t imagine you getting away with seven days in a row without receiving any phone call from work”, she said and he growled. “I swear I will fire anyone who dares disturb our peace”, he muttered, her hand squeezing his gently as she smiled and shook her head, their eyes shifting to the speakerphone at the sound of an incoming phone call, the text notification saying: _Legolas_.

“Ah shit, I was supposed to let him know as soon as I pick you up”, Thranduil said as he took the call, Evelyn checking her mobile to find several missed calls from Legolas and one text message from her sister.

“Legolas”, Thranduil said softly. “Sorry, I forgot to text you. I picked mum up, we are heading home right now”, he said and Evelyn smiled tenderly as their son’s voice filled the air, her thumbs tapping on the mobile’s keyboard as she quickly entered a reply to the message. 

“That’s alright dad”, he laughed, Thranduil turning the direction indicator and checking the side and rear view mirrors before swiftly overtaking the car driving slowly in front of them.

“I thought you forgot and I guess you were somewhere with no signal, ‘cause I’ve been trying to reach you and mum for half an hour now”, he said, amusement clear in his voice and they looked at each other, Evelyn making a _shit-we’ve-got-caught_ face, the Hummer gradually slowing down as it got back on its lane. 

“Legolas, your parents may disappear from time to time, but never for too long, sweetheart”, she said, Thranduil smirking as he took a quick glance in the rear view mirror.

“Don’t give me any details!” - the voice of their son resounded in the car and she laughed, Thranduil overtaking another car, a large crossroads with traffic lights overlaying ahead of them in the distance. 

“I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about, honey”, she laughed, her gaze falling back to the cell phone in her hands at the sound of an incoming text message. 

“What time is your flight, son?”, Thranduil asked as he took a quick look at his Rolex Sky-Dweller wrist watch, Evelyn tapping on the phone keyboard using both her thumbs. 

“Ummm… It’s at 2 am here, so it’s ummm… at 7 pm your time.” Legolas said, an airport communicate resounding in the background. “I will need to go check my luggage soon, there is a huge line like from here to Nepal”, he muttered, Evelyn nodding her head. “So the flight is probably gonna be full, isn’t it?”, she said as she pressed _send_.

“Yup, almost everyone from my cancelled flight plus the regular passengers”, Legolas said, his voice drowning in another airport communicate. 

“Is Tauriel coming with you?”, Evelyn asked as she put her phone back to her purse. 

“No, she’s staying here a bit longer”, Legolas said, the Hummer gradually slowing down as the red light appeared.

“Is everything okay?”, she asked, Thranduil taking his sun glasses from the door recess and putting them on. 

“Yeah...”, Legolas said, his voice changed and Evelyn could almost see him clench his teeth in the same way Thranduil would.“She just ummm… She had something to do here before she leaves”, he said, Thranduil and Evelyn exchanging looks. 

“I can come by to get you from the airport if you want”, Thranduil said, a tender hand resting on the back of his neck as Evelyn gently stroked him.

“That would be awesome, but are you sure? The flight is taking approximately ten and a half hours… It’ll be really early when I arrive”, Legolas said, another airport communicate resounding. 

“That’s no problem at all, son. As your parents, we are used to night wakings”, Thranduil murmured, Evelyn chuckling as she shook her head. 

“Ha ha, very funny”, Legolas said, Thranduil pulling out gently as the green light appeared.

“Oh come on, sonny boy, it’s only a joke. You know we love you”, Evelyn said as she pointed her finger at a road sign signalizing their highway exit to appear in ten hundred meters, Thranduil gently squeezing her hand as he smiled.

“Oh, by the way, mum - Nana is back”, Legolas said, Evelyn’s eyes widening as she looked at Thranduil, who confirmed the news with a nod of his head. 

“They let her out of the hospital already?”, she asked and he pursed his lips and nodded. “Yeah, I guess they mended her health a bit and let her out. You know, they can’t work miracles, after all she’s in her mid 90s”, he said, Evelyn nodding her head, an absent-minded smile appearing on her face. 

“She’s so old, living alone in the woods and basically making a living at selling her homemade bread”, Legolas said and she slowly shook her head. “I think she’s the last person on earth using a real bread baking furnace”, she murmured, Thranduil turning on the windscreen washer, the smell of alcohol filling their nostrils. “As far as I know, her family wanted to take her home”, he said as he frowned. “It was actually her grandson, who called the ambulance when he found her unconscious”, he said, Evelyn nodding. “Yeah, I heard something”, she said as she covered her mouth and yawned. “It’s her life though and her choice to live it the way she wants to”, she said, as she blinked a couple of times, Thranduil pursing his lips, a confirming “ _Mhmm_ ” escaping his mouth as he nodded, his eyes shifting to the side view mirror as he put the left blinker on and changed the lane.

“Ummm, dad?”, Legolas’ voice resounded in the car.

“Yes, Legolas”, he said as he put the blinker on and took the exit, the road leading them now through forest, trees growing thickly on either side. 

“I think I need to go check my luggage now”, Legolas said, his voice distant as he was on the move.

“Okay”, Thranduil said as he flipped his sun visor up. “I’ll see you at the airport, then. I’ll be there at 5:30.”

“Thanks dad, I’ll see you there”, Leoglas said, Evelyn sending a kiss towards the speakerphone. “Take care and have a safe flight. We love you”, she said, her voice full of tenderness.

“Love you too, so glad you are back home, mommy”, he said and she chuckled. “So am I, baby-boy. So am I...”

With that the connection was ended.

***

Evelyn looked at Thranduil and she rolled her eyes with a _don’t-give-me-that-look_ expression on her face, Thranduil taking his sun glasses off and putting them back in the door recess. “I’m worried about him and Tauriel”, she said as she fixed her gaze at the view passing by outside the window. Trees grew here even thicker, the road sinking in the cosy shadow. 

“I don’t see why”, a deep voice next to her stated calmly and she exhaled, different shades of green flickering before her eyes. 

A warm feeling washed over her at a well-known, tender touch of a big hand as it cradled hers and she looked at their intertwined fingers, Thranduil’s patient, ice-blue eyes lingering on her. “People fight, it’s a natural thing”, he said as he laced his fingers through hers and sent her a quick glance before fixing his gaze back on the road. “It’s probably nothing, remember all our fights?” he said as he gently brushed his thumb against her skin, her lips curving in a faint smile. “Each and every single one reminding a small thunder storm” she said, her voice low and warm. “It’s because we both have strong characters”, he said, his grip on her hand tightening. “And”, he added as he turned his gaze away from the road to place a tender kiss on her palm, “because we care for each other very, very much”, he whispered as his gaze met hers before he shifted it back to the road. 

“I know I was away for two years”, she said as she lowered her eyes, “but I’m not sure about how deep Tauriel’s feelings run. I just don’t want him to end up with a broken heart”, she said and Thranduil shook his head. “Yes, you were away, but your almost adult son was left under the care of his father”, he said, her other hand covering their joint ones. “To me, what they have is a puppy love. I wouldn’t expect any declarations from either side any time soon”, he said, Evelyn taking a slow breath. “We were their age when I had Legolas”, she said, Thranduil nodding. “That’s true, but we were different”, he said, Evelyn letting her gaze linger outside as she thought about his words. “I was hundred percent sure I wanted to marry you long before we found out you were pregnant”, he said and she and she smiled at her memories. “You knew long before I told you”, she whispered, Thranduil nodding his head a small smile appearing in the corner of his mouth. “Suspected. I could sense a change inside you and started to watch you more carefully”, he said as he slowed down and put the blinker on to turn right at the crossroads. He let go of her hand to change gear, then took it again. “I can’t imagine Legolas becoming a father just yet”, she said, her voice serious and he shook his head.“He knows all about contraception”, he said, Evelyn exhaling slowly. “So did we”, she chuckled, Thranduil snorting. “Good point...”, he said as as he shifted his gaze back to the road, his eyes squinting at something in the distance. “Still, we raised him well, he’d know exactly what to do”, he said and she nodded as she knew he was right. 

Having let go of her hand, he grabbed the gearbox, the Hummer gently slowing down, Evelyn turning her gaze to the road ahead. “Why hello there”, she said tenderly, a hedgehog in the middle of the road in front of them freezing as it curled itself into a ball.

“Lucky little imp”, she said as she relaxed against the backrest.

For a moment there was silence as they let their gaze linger on the road, a tender smile appearing on Evelyn’s face as she watched the animal hesitantly start to continue its way across the road, its spiked body waddling on tiny paws.

“Megan texted me”, she said as she opened the window, the fresh, forest air filling their nostrils. “How is she?”, Thranduil asked as he turned the engine off, the world around them falling silent except for the soothing sounds of birds as they were seated high up in the tree crowns. “Not too bad”, Evelyn muttered as she changed her position on the seat and was now leaning with her arm against the backrest. “She and the girls want to come over the day after tomorrow, on Saturday”, she said, Thranduil nodding with approval. “Not a bad idea. We could make a grill outside if the weather is good, the girls will have somewhere to run around. We could invite Elrond and Arwen, If they don’t have any other plans, maybe she would bring Aragorn with her”, he said and Evelyn smiled. “I could make a Shoarma”, she said, Thranduil turning his head to her as he gently stroke her cheek. “You can make a real Shoarma?”, he teased as he leaned in and brushed his lips against hers. “I can”, she said replied, also teasingly, his lips pressing against hers in a tender kiss which grew in passion as she wrapped her arm around his neck, a small moan escaping her as she did so. 

The sound of a horn made them come back down to earth, Thranduil checking the rear view mirror to see a minivan standing behind them. Having lifted his open palm up in a short apology gesture, he started the engine and closed his hand around the gearbox as he slowly pulled out, the hedgehog safely reaching the other side of the road. 

***

A green, messy live fence appeared and Thranduil slowed down and pressed the remote gate control button on the dashboard, the sound of a direction indicator following as they passed a wicket gate surmounted with a hedge arch, the live fence suddenly disappearing to be replaced by a heavy, cast iron gate as it was almost finished opening and in another second they used it to enter the paradise.


	3. Chapter 3

“Welcome home”, Thranduil whispered as he took Evelyn’s hand and placed a tender kiss on the back of her palm, a long, gravelled driveway leading them straight to one of the two garages as they were nestled against a two-storey, Tudor style home with a slopping roof, green as well as red vine twining up the stone walls, the entire area in front of the house seized by a wild garden with beautiful, magnificent trees, stone fountains, flowers and conifers growing freely as well as in huge stone plant pots located casually all over the huge site as it was riddled with narrow stone paths, vine and weeping cedars twining up the black pergolas and hanging from the railings of a bridge over a pond with mossy rocks and small waterfalls as it was located right behind the wicket gate. 

The bridge subsequently turned into a narrow stone path provided with small, round, in-ground lanterns as they were hidden between the flowers and dwarf blue and green conifers leading straight to a hexagon plan house, the front door located in a high, round tower as it was also covered with vine and provided with a pointy roof and two tall windows with small balconies and nestled between two beautiful stone outbuildings located on both sides of it, the whole forming a kind of a facade, behind which the main building was hidden as it was guarded by a monumental walnut tree, shadowing the vast terrace leading straight into the wild orchard overlaying at the back, the entire site nestled in the protective cocoon of aromatic spruces, pines and larches. 

Thranduil pressed another button on the dashboard and the door of a bigger garage started to slowly lift itself up, the white, austere walls closing around them as they slowly drove in.

“Be careful when getting off, there’s a bike standing at the wall”, he said as he gently turned off the engine, Evelyn taking a glance out the window to see a small, white and pink bike as it was safely nestled in the corner, colourful ribbons hanging from the handlebars. 

“It’s Anna’s”, she said as she looked at him, Thranduil confirming with a single nod of his head.

Anna was her four-year-old niece. The older one, Keira, was eight. 

“I noticed that the handlebars didn’t turn the way they’re supposed to, to the point it was dangerous for her to ride it”, he said as he grabbed his documents and car keys. “I asked Megan to leave the bike here so I could tinker with it”, he said, Evelyn smiling as she watched him. “I bet Anna wasn’t happy she couldn’t use it”, she said as she unfastened her seatbelt.

“She was a little upset, but I promised her I would use my magic powers to fix it and now she’s excited”, he chuckled and she laughed as she opened the door, careful not to jostle against the bike. 

“And did you?”, she asked as she closed the door and made her way towards the back of the car, Thranduil doing so as well, his tall form moving gracefully. 

“Fix it or use my magic powers?”, he asked as he used one hand to open the trunk while putting his things into his back pocket with the other, his eyes meeting hers. “Both”, she said and he chuckled. “I did”, he answered, his fingers already closed around the suitcase handle. “The bearings had been worn down. I replaced them with new ones and balanced the wheels. It handles like a dream now”, he said as he pulled the baggage out of the trunk and lifted it effortlessly up before placing it on the floor, the fabric of his shirt brushing gently against her bare arm.

He was about to straighten up when two warm hands cupped his face, hazel eyes gazing tenderly into his, delicate thumbs brushing over his eyebrows. 

“What?”, he asked and Evelyn shook her head before placing a feather-like kiss on his lips, her arms pulling him close as she pressed herself against his chest. 

“Nothing. I love you”, she whispered as she gently pulled away, her hands resting on his chest and he took one of them in his. “I love you too, baby”, he said as he placed a kiss on the inside of her palm. 

“By the way, Megan said the girls were thrilled when you took them to see the ponies the other day”, she said and he walked over to the contact on the wall. He pressed on it and the garage door started to close itself slowly. “Yeah, it was fun”, he chuckled as he made his way over to the trunk, his muscles rippling under the fabric of his shirt as he raised his hand to close it. “I took them to Tony’s. He’s brought ten new Shetlands for his hypotherapy centre”, he said as he motioned for her to move and they started making their way towards the door at the wall. “The girls had a blast riding on horseback and petting the ponies. I promised Keira I would soon take her horse riding again. She’s doing exceptionally well in the saddle, for a child. Animals react well to her”, he said as he turned around and locked the car, the sound of activating the alarm echoing. 

“She’s definitely not taking it after her mother”, Evelyn said as she took the keys out of her purse. “Megan has always been afraid of horses”, she said and he made a well-you-know face. “She’s got bad memories”, he said as she opened the door and he ushered her before him. “The girls were not afraid though. You should have seen their faces”, he added as they entered a short, windowless tunnel leading from the garage to the house, torch-imitating lamps casting warm afterglow as they were mounted on one of the walls of black stone. “I can imagine, especially Anna”, she chuckled, Thranduil frowning.“Actually, I had a problem with her and Wolf the other day”, he muttered as he turned to lock the door behind them. 

“Too much affection for his liking?”, Evelyn asked and he nodded. “I could see him search for solitude, she’d been clinging to him half a day already”, he said and she frowned. “Was it the day Megan asked you to take care of the little ones for two days while she was off to Cork?”, she asked and he nodded. “Yeah, she had to leave suddenly and couldn’t take the girls with her”, he said as they made their way down the tunnel, the sound of suitcase wheels echoing. 

“Anna is such a cuddler, looking for affection, giving hugs right and left”, she said and he pursed his lips while nodding his head. “I told her a couple of times to give Wolf a break, tried to keep her busy, but he was like a magnet to her”, he said and she nodded her head. “Yup, that’s her”, she said. 

“I know my own dog. I am sure he wouldn’t hurt her, but I could tell he’d had enough”, he said as they neared the steel door at the other end of the passage, Evelyn quickly entering a six-digit code on the panel under the door handle and it unlocked with a quiet bleep. 

“I trust him, but you can never be too careful, so I told Legolas to keep an eye on the girls and took him for a longer walk so he could have some breathing space”, he said as they opened the door, the familiar scent of home filling their nostrils as they entered the realm of dark wood and stone. 

“You were right to do so. He’s a good dog, but still – you never know. Better not to take chances”, she said and he confirmed with a nod and a “ _Mhmm_ ”.

“Speaking of the devil...”, he chuckled as they entered a vast, rustic hall with multi-colour, natural stone floor, heavy, antiquated chandeliers hanging from a dark, wooden ceiling, and were greeted by a huge German Shepherd and Siberian Husky cross-breed as it was sitting in the middle the hall, the still gaze of his ice-blue, impassive eyes boring into them.

“Wolf! Come here, boy!”, Evelyn called tenderly as she dropped to her knees and held out her hands, the dog standing gracefully up and walking slowly towards her, the look in his eyes changing to kind devotion, a long, fury tail expressing his joy with ambling wags.

Thranduil smiled as he held the door with his forearm while pulling the suitcase in, the heavy gate closing behind him with the same quiet bleep. 

“On his ten-grade scale of enthusiasm, this is a twelve”, Evelyn chuckled as the dog gently tucked on her dress with one of his paws while pressing his forehead against her shoulder to finally lie on the floor with his head on her lap and she scratched his furry belly, Thranduil shaking his head as he smiled and made his way through the hall. 

“I’ll take the suitcase upstairs for you, babe and then we can eat, I’ll just re-heat everything”, he said and she nodded her head, her eyes still fixed on the dog as she tenderly stroked and scratched his thick, black and fawn fur. 

***

“I’ll hit the bathroom to freshen up and I’ll be right with you, hun.”, she called as she climbed the arched dark wooden stairs with beige carpet runner in the middle. “Mmm, I hope it tastes like it smells...”, she sighed as the aroma of beef and dried mushrooms filled her nostrils and he chuckled in the kitchen as he licked the stew off his thumb and took a kitchen knife in his hand, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up. “Indeed, there is a chance that it does”, he muttered and she laughed as she placed her hand on the railing while relishing the familiar feeling of knots under her fingers. 

Having reached the top, she found herself in a vast, bright hallway with a huge round window as it was facing the stairs and opening over the neighbourhood, one end of the hemispheric hallway heading right, the other one turning left and leading farther inside the house. 

She turned left and made her way down the vast corridor, the ceiling and walls provided with arched, dark wooden beams and decorated with framed, black and white as well as colourful photographs taken all over the world, one side of the corridor provided with a row of huge windows in dark wooden frames, each one decorated with sheer curtain draperies and flowers standing on the window sills, some also provided with built-in seats and cushions. 

On the other side of the hallway, there was a number of heavy, wenge doors as they were leading to other parts of the house. 

Having reached the other end of the corridor, she found herself in front of another huge window as it was opening over the orchard, ornamented, heavy door located in a bay on her right leading straight to her and Thranduil’s bedroom as it was proudly guarded by a red bonsai tree in a shallow, black plant pot nestled in the corner. 

She reached out her hand and smiled while touching one of the sprays gently with her fingers before entering the bedroom.

It was a spacious, rectangular room with heavy curtains, beautiful brown and beige carpet and a fireplace with a plasma TV built in the wall above as it was facing a huge bed with a heavy, ornamented headboard and a copy of an ancient Egyptian love poem in a clip frame hanging above.

The night stand on the left held a small, framed black and white photo showing a long-haired couple wearing black, a delicate smile lingering in the corners of his mouth as she whispered into his ear, an old, black electric guitar with skull stickers and band names hanged on the wall next to it, along with a bracket-shaped book shelf full of different titles with invitingly worn covers as it extended over the whole width of the bed and reached the night stand on the other side of it holding a digital alarm clock and an architecture magazine.

On the ceiling, there was an old candelabra chandelier mounted to one of the heavy wooden beams as they reached the wall on the left and leaned down to frame the door leading to a cosy, luxurious bathroom, the opposite wall holding a window with a dressing table standing nearby. 

On a vast window sill of dark wood, there was lying a jet black cat as it was lazily basking in the last rays of the setting sun, its green, opalescent eyes flying open at the sound of a motion and it yawned protractedly.

“Hey, baby girl”, Evelyn said softly as she approached the animal and reached out her hand, the cat rubbing its head against her hand with an approving purr before getting up and arching its back while kneading its paws, Evelyn laughing tenderly as she gently lifted the animal into her arms.

She took her time to simply cradle the vibrating ball of fur in her arms, the cat pressing its head gently against her cheek and she placed a tender kiss on a black coated forehead.

“I missed you, little one”, she murmured and laughed softly as a small, wet nose touched her other cheek, sharp claws sinking into her skin as the animal kneaded its paws against her forearm. 

“Wasn’t daddy trimming your claws?”, she asked as she gently squeezed the paw between her thumb and forefinger to expose the claw, the cat tenderly nibbling on her chin. 

“Indeed, he wasn’t”, she said as she frowned. “Mommy will do it later, okay?”, she murmured, the cat rubbing its head and snout against her face. 

She spent some more time cuddling with the animal in her arms before placing it gently on the dressing table, the cat throwing her a disappointed look as she made her way towards the door leading to the bathroom. 

***

“I must be tired. I haven’t even drunk half a glass and I feel tipsy already”, she muttered and he chuckled, a deep rumble rippling across his chest as he placed a kiss on the top of her head. She closed her eyes and snuggled closer against him.

They were sitting on a black leather couch in their spacious living room, empty bowls of beef stew with rise placed on a low table as it was standing in front of a fireplace with armchairs and sofas surrounding it, a vast terrace window letting in the aura of the dusk as it was already falling outside.

She had changed to a white tank top and grey sweatpants, her bare feet lying on the sofa as she bent her knees and snuggled against his chest, his arm embracing her protectively as he sipped on his now almost empty O’Hara’s Celtic Stout, Wolf napping on his large dog bed and occasionally raising his calm, faithful gaze to his people. 

“It’s been a long day, baby and you are jet-lagged. We can go to bed early if you want, I will hold you while you sleep. I’ve missed this so much”, he said and she started drawing little circles on his chest with he finger. “If I go to bed with you, I will not be able to resist the urge to fuck you all night long”, she said and his body tensed, his fingers playing with the fabric of her top. 

He heartbeat accelerated when he crooned, the vibration from his chest sending shivers down her spine.

 _“I wanna fuck your love slow...”_ , he sang quietly, his voice deep and melodic as he hummed the words of _Crush_ by Cigarettes After Sex and she felt herself moistening at the sound.

She inhaled, her fingers crumpling up the fabric of his shirt as he put aside his beer and lay her on her back in one swift movement, his chest pressing against hers as she spread her legs for him. 

_“Feel your lips crush...”_ , he hummed, his lips brushing against hers and she moaned when he sneaked his tongue into her mouth and kissed her deeply. 

Having pulled away, he traced his mouth along her cheek and let it linger over her ear, his breath laboured. _“Hold you here my loveliest friend...” _, he hummed into her ear, his voice hoarse as he started pulling up her top, his fingers leaving a burning track on her bare skin.__

__She pushed on his chest, his muscles flexing under her fingers as he closed his arms around her and sat up with her straddling him, her lips devouring his hungrily as she scratched him through the fabric of his shirt in an attempt to get closer._ _

__He chuckled and placed both hands under her butt, her head bouncing back as he changed his way of kissing to more aggressive, almost bruising one and she pushed harder against him._ _

__Without warning, he stood up and she wrapped her legs around his hips as he made his way out of the living room._ _

__“This time, I’m on top”, he murmured into her hair as he started climbing the stairs._ _


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I imagine Thranduil and Evelyn being into rough sex and dirty talk. Both of them can be very dominating, but they also love each other very much and feel extremely comfortable in each other's company. Speaking of their needs, feelings and fantasies comes naturally, as much as expressing their passion and desire does. 
> 
> So, here's a treat for all the Thranduil pervs out there (with me at the head of that line). This chapter is all smut/fluff.

“Stay still, woman”, he muttered as he gently spanked her butt, a giggle escaping her as she rubbed herself against the hard bulge in his pants and he shook his head while trying to keep her in place, only ten meters separating them from their bedroom door.

“I’m gonna do it harder if you don’t stop...”, he murmured into her neck, the rock-hard erection throbbing painfully and begging for release. 

She wriggled in his arms again, her core rubbing against him tortuously as she pulled on his hair and exposed the side of his neck by doing so. “I want it rough...”, she murmured as she sucked on his earlobe. “I want you to ride me till I’m sore...”

“My little minx… I love it when you are so explicit...”, he whispered as he pulled gently on her hair, his voice like honey, his breath caressing her ear.

“Fuck… Thranduil...”, she moaned as he pressed her hard against the bedroom door, his breath hot against her skin as he sucked and bit on her neck, his huge form crushing her against the wood and she shivered at the mixture of pleasure and pain.

Having reached behind her, she found the handle, the door slamming open as they reeled in, Cleopatra raising her head as she was comfortably napping on the fireplace hood, a hiss escaping her at the sudden intrusion. 

Panting and laughing, they fell onto the bed, her legs already spread wide apart for him to nestle in between as he covered her with his body, his weight crushing her deliciously against the mattress.

“I need to be inside you, Eve”, he murmured as he pulled on her hair, her hands tracing up his neck and she gasped when their lips crashed, her hands tracing back down to grab the collar of his shirt. She pulled hard and the material tore, buttons blasting off in all directions, Cleopatra watching them with mild interest, before yawning and going back to sleep. 

He chuckled as he pulled up her tank top and she raised her hands, the piece of garment landing on the night stand. She moaned hoarsely and squeezed his biceps as his lips and tongue started leaving a burning track down her neck and chest. She pulled on his shirt, her fingernails sinking into his skin as she nudged him impatiently to take it off and he cursed under his breath, his teeth sinking into her shoulder as he shook off the garment, letting it fly across the room and eventually hang on the dressing table mirror. 

Having arched her back, she took a fistful of his hair and pulled hard, a hiss escaping him as he took both her hands and immobilised them with one of his above her head, his lips closing around her right nipple and he started to suck. 

“Jesus motherfucking Christ, Thranduil…!”, she cried out, his other hand tracing down her side and into her pants. He used his knee to spread her legs wider apart, his fingers finding their way to her dripping core and he shifted to her left nipple while inserting two fingers inside her. 

She moaned as she wrapped her left leg around his waist, his fingers moving in and out of her as he gently sucked on her nipple, his tongue licking the sensitive skin. 

She arched her back, an odd mixture of arousal and emotion flooding her all of a sudden. She wanted him inside. She wanted to fuck him hard while making tender love to him.

“I’ve missed your sweet pussy...”, he murmured as he gently blew air on her wet nipple, her voice hoarse when she spoke. “Then stick your huge cock in it, I fucking need you, Thranduil...”, she panted out as she rubbed her toes against his butt cheek, and he bit her gently on the nipple, his fingers moving slowly in and out of her. 

He could feel her slowly clench around his fingers and he smirked as he stopped all movement, the only thing he did to her being tender kisses as he placed them on her breasts and belly and she started whimpering, her hips moving up and down as she tried to free her hands and he tightened his hold on her wrists.

Having pulled his fingers out of her, he put them in his mouth, an approving hum escaping him as he closed his eyes while relishing the taste. 

Suddenly he shifted so that he was lying completely on top of her, her other thigh embracing his waist immediately and she used her toes to gently rub them against his balls, a moan escaping him as he nestled his face in her neck. 

“I’m gonna cum in my fucking pants...”, he muttered and she laughed, laughter turning into a moan when he bit her on the neck and started sucking on the spot, his hand tightening its grip around her wrists and she arched her back, difficult as it was with his weight pinning her down to the mattress. 

“Get… those… fucking… slacks... off… and fuck... me… already...”, she hissed through her gritted teeth, her feet kicking and rubbing frantically against the fabric of his jeans, a chuckle escaping him as he crushed her lips with his, his tongue taking immediate control over her mouth and she sunk her teeth in his bottom lip, a subtle taste of blood filling her mouth.

He hissed, the pain and taste of his own blood making him even more aroused and he bit her just as hard before letting go of her wrists, her fingers immediately finding their way down and she pushed on his solid chest.

In one swift movement of her feminine body she was on top of him, her jet black hair falling down her arms like a soft curtain covering her breasts and he smiled, her weight feeling delicious as she supported most of it on his chest. 

She chuckled softly, her black hair veiling him like a curtain as she leaned forward for a quick, deep and wet kiss before straightening up.

Having brushed aside her hair, he cupped her breasts with his hands, the soft, ample symbols of fertility and womanhood fitting perfectly his large palms and she moaned and bit down on her lip, but didn’t break the eye contact, his lingering gaze keeping her prisoner as she started to gently rock her hips back and forth, his mouth falling open at the sensation.

“You fucking tease”, he muttered, her hands pinning his down to the mattress, his body shivering as she licked her way up his neck, her lips closing around his earlobe and she started to suck on it, her grip around his wrists tightening at his attempt to free himself. She knew perfectly well that her hold was no restraint for him, but she still enjoyed this little bit of control.

“God… I love your smell…”, she murmured, her nose brushing over his skin as she kissed, licked and bit on his flesh. “Mmmm… I could fucking eat you alive...”, she gasped, her lips closing around his nipple and he hissed as she started sucking on it. She kissed and licked her way down his toned stomach, her sharp teeth driving him crazy as she used them even more than she usually did. 

“Baby… More...”, he whispered and she started sucking on his belly button before slowly crawling up, her gaze fixed on his. He tilted his head back, his lips parted as she traced her nails across his chest, five red lines marking the path. At the same time, her wet lips closed around his nipple and she started to suck and lick on it gently, the mixture of two contrasting sensations making him curse silently as he gasped for air. 

She licked, bit and scratched her way down his belly, his fingers pulling on her hair and he could feel her warm hands as they skilfully started undoing his jeans, his throbbing manhood springing up, the tip already glistening with arousal.

Having licked her lips, she looked at it as if it was the most delicious piece of cake in the world, then looked straight into his eyes, wicked sparks in her gaze, and he lifted her by the arms just as she let her hair fall to one side and was about to take him in her mouth.

“I’d rather cum in your pussy than in your mouth”, he murmured as he kneeled on the bed and started taking her sweatpants off. “I’m too horny, babe. And knowing how you can suck me off, I’d better not take chances of misfire”, he muttered, his nose nudging on her neck and she tilted her head back. “I like sucking you off...”, she purred, her warm hands tracing down his thighs as she took his pants all the way down. “Oh, _I know_ ”, he muttered and she snorted at how it sounded like a reproach, while she knew how they both loved when she was going down on him or vice versa. She could feel more wetness pooling out of her at the memory and she bit down on her lip. 

“That’s exactly why you are not doing it today”, he whispered as he covered her lips with his, his naked body pushing on her and he made her lie down on her back, his eyes fixed on hers as she wrapped her legs tightly around his hips, her hands caressing his face, neck, chest, pulling gently on his hair. 

Having noticed his wrist watch next to her delicate temple as he stroked her hair, he took it off and placed it on the night stand before locking his gaze back with hers, their eyes fixed on each other when he started entering her, their mouth falling open as he slowly rocked deeper and deeper into her awaiting core, her palms cupping his face and brushing away loose strands from his forehead.

“Oh, baby...”, she moaned quietly and he nestled his face in her hair, the pace of his thrusts increasing gradually. 

“Mmmm... So tight...”, he murmured as he closed his eyes, his hands slowly tracing down her sides and up her thigh, her own hips moving in unison with his to deepen the thrusts, each movement of her body escalating his desire. 

His hot breath caressed her ear along with small sexy sounds he made, his muscles flexing under her fingers as he slowly rocked in and out of her and she let her calves and thighs rub against his legs and hips as she took him deep inside, her fingers gently caressing his butt cheeks. 

He inhaled sharply and bit her gently on the neck when she slapped his butt, then stroked the spot tenderly. 

Having raised one of her legs higher, she enabled him to thrust into her even deeper, her warm thigh rubbing against his side. 

“I wanna ride you...”, she whispered into his ear and he rolled them over, her body covering his as she held him close and kissed him deeply before sitting up, her body taking up a slow, sensual rhythm. 

He parted his lips, his breath laboured as he watched her sensuous curves riding him slowly, her head tilted back, lips parted and she traced her hands up and down his forearms as he gently caressed her thighs. 

Having slowly lowered her head, she sent him a long, lingering look as she bit down on her lip, her breasts billowing in the rhythm of her moves. “Do you like it when I ride you like this…”, she asked, her voice low.

“Yes...”, he panted out, his gaze locked with hers.

She moaned as she started playing with her breasts, her eyes half-open. “Baby, I’m so fucking horny...” she whispered as she started brushing her own nipples with her thumbs and increased her pace. 

“Fuck, you’re so huge...”, she moaned, her thighs brushing against his hips as she rose and fell on top of him, his glistening manhood rubbing against her walls. 

Having tilted her head back, she placed her hands under her hair and slowly lifted her jet black strands up, her hips starting to draw circles and he lifted himself on his forearms, his hips moving in unison with hers.

She lowered her head and looked him straight in the eyes, her hair falling down her back in a cascade, a sigh escaping her as his cock hit her sweet spot and he supported his weight on his left hand, his right going around her waist as he sat upright, his lips covering hers in a slow, deep kiss.

“Mmmm...”, she moaned into his mouth, her nipples hardening against his chest. 

He started sucking on her upper lip in the rhythm of his thrusts, his left hand pulling her closer as she wrapped her arms around his neck. 

“Mm… Mmm… Mmmhhm…”, she moaned again, her core starting to clench around him and he gently pulled away to be able to see her face. 

She bit down on her bottom lip, a delicate vertical wrinkle marking her forehead as he thrust into her, her nails sinking into his back.

“Harder...”, she ordered as she opened her eyes, her gaze meeting his and she placed her palm on his cheek. 

In a split second, he rolled them over, so she was on her back, her legs wrapped around his hips and she took a fistful of his hair.

“Aaahhh…”, she moaned and arched her back as he increased the speed of his trusts and leaned in to suck and bite on her neck, their bodies moving in unison as he pumped into her, her fingers pulling on his hair. 

“Oh… That’s right, baby...”, she moaned, her cheeks starting to blush slightly. “Oh, God… Aaahhh… Don’t stop...”, she pleaded as she crossed her ankles at his back, his hand finding hers and he pinned it down above her head, their fingers intertwined. 

“I love you so fucking much...”, she whimpered, a stream of tears rolling down her cheeks, and he answered her in Irish before lifting his head, his lips sealing with hers in a tender, deep kiss as he rocked her steadily into her orgasm. 

She moaned and whimpered into his mouth, her core clenching rhythmically around him as she sucked on his lips, her thighs squeezing his sides as she trembled on her entire body.

Thranduil pulled on her hair, his fingers closing tighter around hers as his own orgasm started to build up, his teeth sinking in her bottom lip as he let go of her hair, his hand grabbing the sheets instead, the soft fabric crumpling up and creasing in his steel-like grip.

She traced her fingers down his back, her nails sinking in his butt cheeks and she gave him a few slaps, the sensation making his orgasm hit him with an intensity of a decent earthquake. 

“Evelyn… Evelyn… Evelyn… Eve… Aahhh… Ahhhngh… Oooohhh…”, he hid his face in her neck and started panting, his eyes shut as he spurted all he had deep into her still clenching core. 

*** 

It was deep into the night.

Thranduil inhaled deeply, the soft, warm body in his arms filling his soul with calm and tenderness.

He smiled as he placed a gentle kiss on top of her head, the action invoking a small sigh of contentment as she snuggled closer and murmured something unintelligible in her sleep, her leg rubbing against his as they were entangled under the sheets. 

She was so close he could feel her steady heartbeat, her soft breasts pressed deliciously against his solid chest. 

He placed another kiss on the crown of the head as he pulled her even closer, the fingers of his right hand gently lacing through her hair as he placed another butterfly kiss on the jet black, messy strands. 

And another. 

And another. 

With her unique aroma filling his nostrils, he took his time to simply inhale her scent, his lips placing tender kisses on top of her head as he cradled her safely in his arms. 

Her toes brushed against the arch of his foot as she gently traced her fingers across his back, her nose brushing him tenderly as she raised her head to nestle her face in the crook of his neck. 

He could almost feel her body vibrate as she inhaled his scent, purring like a cat as she did so, his tender words as he whispered them into her ear, lulling her back to sleep.

Life was going to be good again.


	5. Chapter 5

“Hello there, imp”, Thranduil muttered, his gaze resting on Cleopatra as she was lying on her side, playing with a little plastic ball with a bell inside. The toy rolled away towards the opposite wall and he snorted as the cat took off after it, her tiny paws slipping on the stone floor.

“Be careful on the corners”, he chuckled, as he turned and started descending the stairs, the sound of his voice making Wolf raise his head and take a few steps in the direction it was coming from, his tail wagging from side to side, a few water drops falling to the floor from his snout as he had been drinking. 

“Hey, buddy”, Thranduil said softly, the dog lifting his loving gaze to him as he gently stroked his head and neck. “Good boy”, he said as he patted his side, the animal still watching him as he placed his documents and car keys on a long kitchen table with a fruit bowl on top and eight bar stools, four on each side, and made his way towards the window with a big counter in front of it.

That’s when she turned around, her hair messy, eyes still puffy from sleeping as she stood there in her slippers and a dressing gown, a small kitchen knife resting in her hand.

“Morning, beautiful”, he whispered as he kissed her gently, his heartbeat accelerating when her taste filled his mouth. He gently sucked on her upper lip, her fingers brushing against his cheek. 

Behind them Wolf yawned, his furry tail wagging slowly as the dog walked over to the living room.

“Morning, hubby”, she murmured, a fresh scent of air, ocean breeze and pure sex filling her nostrils as he held her close, his skin still cool from the cold shower. 

He was wearing light grey sweatpants and a matching T-shirt with a hoodie, his wet hair casually collected in bun at the nape of his neck, loose strands sticking out here and there.

“Olive?”, she whispered and he smiled, a small, green blob landing in his mouth. 

“You’re making an olive omelette?”, he whispered as he chewed, her arms going around his neck and she brushed her lips against his. 

“Mhm, with sun-dried tomatoes”, she whispered as she tenderly traced her tongue over his bottom lip, a thin, red line marking the spot where her teeth had cut the skin.

He closed his arms tighter around her and indulged her in a slow, sensual kiss, the knife falling to the floor with a quiet clink when she put her hands under his hoodie, her fingers feeling the muscles under the fabric of his T-shirt. 

In another second he was fucking her hard on a huge dining table, his face buried in her neck, her thighs wrapped tightly around him, moans escaping her with every thrust. 

***

“You want it with basil?”, she asked as she turned around from the counter to send him a glance, a jar of olives, sun-dried tomatoes and a bowl of beaten eggs standing next to a wooden cutting board.

Her hair was even messier than before, lips swollen, two more love bites marking her neck.

He nodded his head as he approached a coffee machine, a clean cup already waiting on the counter next to it, another, half-empty one standing by the window in the proximity of the cutting board.

There was a scratch on the side of his neck, his wet hair no longer put in a bun, his T-shirt crumpled where she had pulled on it. 

“Yes, please”, he said as he placed the cup on the coffee maker’s drip tray, set the maximum intensity and selected a double espresso, the smell of dark, aromatic Arabica filling the entire kitchen. “I think I’m gonna go for a short run when I’m back.”

“Are you taking Wolf with you?”, she asked as she took the board in her hand and slid the chopped olives into the bowl with eggs, then placed it back on the counter, her hand dipping into the jar with sun-dried tomatoes. 

“Probably”, he said as he took the cup from the drip tray, the rich taste of black, unsweetened coffee filling his mouth. “He’s got used to our morning jogging”, he muttered, Evelyn lifting her eyebrow as she swiftly chopped the tomatoes, Thranduil slowly walking over to take a glance into the bowl.

“I swear he is becoming more and more like you”, she said as she reached to the side, her arm brushing against the fabric of his T-shirt as she reached for a ham lying on the counter next to him and he took it in his hand. “Give me the knife”, he said as he put his coffee aside and reached for a wooden cutting board as it was leant against the wall, Evelyn taking a bigger knife from the knife stand and passing it to him handle first.

“Thank you”, he said as he placed the ham on the board, thin, perfectly even slices coming from under the knife. “He is looking up to the Alpha of the pack”, he chuckled, the knife cutting swiftly through the meat. 

“At least you have a running buddy”, she said as she let out a protracted yawn and reached for her coffee, Thranduil leaning to the side to place a tender kiss on the crown of her head.

“And a beautiful, sexy little bat as my wife”, he murmured, the fourth slice falling gently on the board. “I...”

“Yoohoo!”

A cheerful greeting coming from outside made them lift their gazes to the window, a radiant face of their oldish, nosey neighbour flashing behind their wicket gate making them sigh with exasperation, Evelyn, forcing a substitute of a smile, her hand lifted in a short gesture of greeting.

“Mrs Donnelly”, she hissed through greeted teeth, fer facial expression far from that out of a toothbrush commercial, her head nodding in acknowledgement as the neighbour lifted up her basket full of mushrooms, her other hand raised in a victorious gesture. 

“I just hope she makes use of the Mushroom Guide I gave her after she had almost killed half of her family off with a death cap...”, she said as she licked the juice off of her thumb.

“I remember she wanted to treat Legolas with it”, Thranduil muttered, his nostrils flaring and Evelyn hissed like an angry cat. “Thank God something hit me and I told him not to eat it”, she said, her teeth clenching. “And what is it with her always peeking into our windows”, she muttered, her hand reaching out for the basil pot as it was standing on the window sill. 

They watched the neighbour turn around and start to make her way down the road, Thranduil freezing, his gaze shifting from the large window to the dining table, then back to the window and he grunted.

“What?”, she asked and he slowly shook his head. “Remind me never to fuck you in the kitchen again”, he whispered and she snorted, her gaze falling back to the cutting board. “I bet she would enjoy the view”, she muttered as she slid the chopped basil and tomatoes into the bowl, Thranduil sending her a lingering look, horror in his eyes. 

“Oh, come on”, she laughed as she put the empty board on the counter again, the knife resting on top of it. “We’ll plant one tree here, another there”, she said, a wave of her finger indicating the location of new plants. “Preferably spruces, they grow fast”, she said, Thranduil grumbling as he put the ham slices on top of each other and started to dice them. “I’ll get a baobab...”, he muttered, Evelyn chuckling as she rubbed his back and placed a kiss on his shoulder blade.

“Aww, look who’s got hungry”, she murmured, Thranduil turning his head, his gaze resting on Cleopatra as she silently hoped onto the counter to the right, her green orbs fixed on Evelyn. She smiled as the cat started purring, her furry head rubbing against the fabric of her sleeve, black tail pointing up. “How about a chicken today, hmm?”, she said as she opened the wall cupboard, her hand reaching for one of the cat food pouches as they were standing on the lower shelf. 

Having taken a small bowl with a cat paw imprint on it, she placed it on the counter, Cleopatra instantly sinking her fangs in the chicken bits with gravy, as soon as the meal landed in the bowl. 

“I saw the salmon and cooked rice in the fridge and thought it was for Wolf, but I haven’t given him anything yet”, she said as she put the empty pouch into one of the waste bins under the sink, Thranduil nodding his head as he slid the diced ham into the bowl with eggs, Evelyn taking the empty cutting board and knife from him and placing it in the sink.

“He’ll get his breakfast after his morning walk, about an hour after, as usually”, he said as he took a pan from the hanging pot rack, a quiet rustle of water resounding as she started to wash the dishes. 

Having applied a little bit of olive oil on the pan, he took the bowl from the counter and started to slowly stir the eggs with a wooden spoon. “I never let him force himself too much right after or before the meal”, he said as he poured the content of the bowl into the pan, a nice sizzling resounding as the aroma of ham, olives and tomatoes filled the kitchen. “Theoretically, Huskies are not those at greatest risk of stomach dilatation, but GSDs are. Better not to take chances...”

“Remember to get some water also for him when you go running”, she said as she took the empty bowl from him, the lap of her dressing gown shifting as she did so, his eyebrow lifting at the flash of her breast. 

“Down boy!”, he hissed quietly, his gaze fixed at the growing bulge in his pants. 

***

“Excuse me, Sir?”, Legolas stirred and opened his eyes, a gentle hand as it rested on his arm belonging to a young, pretty stewardess. “I need you to fasten your seatbelt, we are about to begin our final descent”, she said and he blinked and looked around. 

The lights were off, another steward talking to the passengers in the row on the other side. 

“Thank you”, he muttered as he nodded, sat upright and fastened his seatbelt, his gaze resting on the view outside the window. The sky was misty, the sun shining on a thin layer of morning daze with the earth seeing through down below.

Having taken his phone out of his pocket, he pressed the side button and the screen lighted up, a preview of a text message from Tauriel showing up.

_Let me know when you land, I..._

The rest of the message was hidden and he would have accessed it if he had tapped on the preview. 

He sighed and shook his head as he put the phone back to his pocket, then rested his head on the headrest, the seat starting to shake gently, which felt like a car going over the bumps. 

Having closed his eyes, he wished he could get some more sleep. 

***

“Dad, what happened to your neck?”, Legolas asked as they walked across a huge parking lot, a gentle morning breeze filling the air with its refreshing touch of cool wind against the warm sun.

“Cleopatra scratched me”, Thranduil said as he tightened his grip on the travelling bag, Legolas frowning, his doubting gaze fixed on the scratch. “It doesn’t look like cat claw marks. It’s more like...”, he trailed off, his cheeks blushing as Thranduil sent him a look indicating that he had better has dropped the issue.

“Okay, I didn’t ask”, Legolas muttered as he bit down on his lip and looked away.

They turned left, a massive silhouette of the Hummer as it reflected the sun beams already visible in the distance. 

“I saw an almost identical one while driving to Nevada from Kansas”, Legolas said as he hitched up his shoulders and adjusted the position of his backpack, Thranduil taking off the car keys from his pocket. 

“It was black and looked a bit more like a tank”, he said while gesturing to show the massiveness of the other car, the sound of unlocking the door echoing when Thranduil used the car key to turn off the alarm. “Was it the H1?”, he asked and Legolas nodded. “I think so, yes”, he said as he went over to the back passenger door and opened it, his backpack landing on the seat along with his bag as Thranduil placed it there from the other side. “I got my H2 from Henk, who used to import these cars from the US”, he said and Legolas nodded. Henk was his dad’s best friend and the owner of an auto body shop. 

“He also had a few Humvees back then that he had specifically changed into H1 variants so he could sell them to civilians later on”, he said as he closed the door and they walked over to the front, Legolas stopping with his hand on the door handle, his gaze fixed on the dent in the door.

“Was mum mad?”, he asked, Thranduil lifting his gaze to him to see the look of uncertainty on his face.

“Furious”, he answered and almost burst into laughter at the horror in his son’s eyes. 

“Are you really that afraid of your mother?”, he chuckled as they both got in, Thranduil putting on his seatbelt, Legolas following. “Well, she does have a temper sometimes”, he muttered as he adjusted the position of his seat, Thranduil muttering “Oh yes, she does” as he turned the key in the ignition, the engine starting with a low hum. 

“No, she wasn’t mad”, he said softer as he looked both sides and started turning the wheel, the Hummer slowly getting out of its place and into the parking route. “I thought she would get angrier, but she was actually quite cool with it”, he said, his hand reaching into the door compartment and he took off his sun glasses, Legolas nodding his head, slight concern still lingering on his face.

“Do you want me to pay for the repair?”, he asked, Thranduil making a don’t-be-stupid face as he checked the left side and slowly turned to the right, the car heading towards the gate as it was leading out of the parking lot. “I want you to finally learn how to drive”, he said, the tone of his voice harsher and Legolas lowered his gaze, Thranduil driving slowly as he was approaching the spike strip.

The spikes hid inside, a thumb lifted up by the gate operator confirming that it was indeed possible to pass the gate now, and Thranduil lifted his hand in a _thank you/goodbye_ gesture as he drove through the gate, the wheels going gently up and down on the spike operating mechanism.

“I haven’t had it fixed yet, ‘cause I’m waiting for Henk to come back and take care of it”, he said as he took one hand off of the wheel to turn the CD player on, his gaze checking on the road as he adjusted the sound volume, _Warriors of the World_ by Manowar resounding in the background.

“I don’t want to have anyone else tamper with him”, he muttered and Legolas smiled. He was used to his father sometimes talking about his car as if it was a person. 

“Where is Henk now?”, he asked, the turn indicator ticking as the Hummer pulled into the highway’s traffic.

“Busy, sorting out some personal problems”, Thranduil said as he checked the rear view mirror, a small truck with an image of a moose in a yellow safety vest and a white hard hat passing on the other lane. “He should be back in about a week”, he muttered and Legolas nodded as he looked outside the window, his foot stomping the rhythm.

“Isn’t that your general contractor’s car?”, he asked, Thranduil taking a glance into the direction his son was pointing at. He nodded as the truck got before them, the driver getting ready to overtake another car. “They’re going to the Grand Arena construction site”, he said, his gaze lingering on the outline of the steel construction as it was looming on a distant hill, the reflection of sun rays flashing at the tip of a tower crane. 

“They’re getting there so early in the morning?”, Legolas asked, his eyes squinting as he looked into that direction. Having turned to look into the back seat, he reached out, his fingers closing around his backpack and he carefully took it to his front seat. 

“What did you think?”, Thranduil said as he instinctively leaned slightly to the side to make room for the backpack to pass between the seats. “They must hurry up if they want to finish on time”, he said, the car gently slowing down before the traffic lights as they emerged ahead. 

“Which is when?”, Legolas asked as he took his sun glasses out of the backpack’s side pockets, the vibration of his phone resounding as he put the glasses on.

“End of September”, Thranduil replied, his gaze falling on his son’s jeans pocket. “The final project commissioning is planned for the beginning of October”, he said as the car stopped gently, red light turning on. 

“It’s your phone”, he said as he took a glance at Legolas, the phone ringing insistently. 

There were three more signals, which Legolas ignored and the phone finally fell silent. 

For a moment they sat in silence, with only the engine and heavy guitar sounds humming in the background. 

Thranduil took a glance into the side mirror, his gaze resting on a red Honda Civic as it slowly rolled in on the other lane to stop next to them. At a certain point, through an open window at the back seat, emerged a furry head of a Golden Retriever, his long ears and pink tongue dangling happily. Suddenly, a pair of small, baby hands embraced the furry neck, little palms petting the animal, inciting even more happiness to show on its snout by doing so.

Thranduil smiled, his gaze resting on Legolas’ jeans pocket as the vibration resounded again. 

“Aren’t you gonna take it?”, he asked after the fourth signal and Legolas shook his head, his gaze fixed at the view outside the window. “Are you gonna include this project in your references?”, he asked, Thranduil wincing as he rested his hand on the gearbox, the Hummer gently pulling out as the green light appeared. “It’s a rather small thing”, he said as he changed gear, the car taking up speed. “I am right now focusing on the one of glass observation desk in Peru”, he muttered as he took a glance in the rear view mirror. 

“How is it going so far?”, Legolas asked as he fixed his eyes on Thranduil, the latter nodding, his lips pursed. “Good”, he said, his gaze fixed on the road ahead. “In about two weeks your mother and I are going to Huaraz to close the deal”, he said and Legolas frowned. “Mum is going too?”, he asked, Thranduil nodding his head as he took a quick glance at another truck as it was passing by on the other lane. “She’s a co-owner”, he said as he looked in the side mirror and turned the direction indicator on. “Besides, they have specifically asked for her”, he chuckled, Legolas frowning. “Why?”, he asked as the Hummer changed the lane, the road sign informing it was only five hundred meters to their exit. “She’s not an architect.”

“No, but she knows all about ancient architecture and culture”, Thranduil said as he took off his sun glasses. They drove off of the highway, the road leading them through the passage of trees. “And they’ve got a lot to protect and preserve in that area”, he said, Legolas lifting one of his eyebrows. “Do they know she mainly specialises in ancient Egypt?”, he asked, Thranduil nodding his head as he turned the music down a little bit. “Yeah, she’s already spoken to them. Apparently they will have some field specialists on site, but want also someone from our side who can see the things from their perspective, shares their way of thinking”, he said, the vibration resounding as Legolas’ phone started calling again.

“Son, I don’t want to interfere, but either take that call or turn the phone off, please”, he said, his teeth clenching.

Having shoved the phone out of his pocket, Legolas turned it off, then shoved it back in, his chest raising and falling as he fixed his gaze at the view outside the window.

“Wanna talk about it?”, Thranduil asked, his voice calm as he looked at Legolas, who shook his head. “No”, he said as he lowered his gaze. “There is nothing to talk about any more.”


	6. Chapter 6

Tauriel sighed with irritation as she dropped her phone on the bed, the fingers of her right hand resting on her forehead and she closed her eyes.

She was fully dressed, lying on a big steel-framed bed with floral patterned sheets, a big poster of the Missouri state flag, two bears as they were holding a ring with an inscription saying: _United We Stand, Divided We Fall_ , hanging on the opposite wall. 

It was quarter to midnight, but she didn’t feel like sleeping at all, not at the state of mind and soul she found herself in. 

Her and Legolas had fought in the past, but this time it was different, this time it could be the end of everything and the thought itself made her feel like crying. 

Having sat upright she took her head in her hands, the feeling of tightness in her throat becoming all too familiar recently. For the hundredth time she asked herself why she was doing this, why was she putting their relationship at risk? 

What they had was love, at least that’s what she had thought until the night before when he gave her an ultimatum: she would come back with him or this was the end. She couldn’t believe what he was saying was true, this was so not him speaking like that. 

Okay, she _did kiss_ Kili. 

Or rather he kissed her. And she… Well, she might have not protested… At first. 

And when she did, it was not just because she heard Legolas’ voice as he walked in on them. 

She shook her head. 

Now that the emotions had simmered down, she started to realize how bad it must have looked. And then the fight… The fact that she had refused to come back with him as though he meant nothing to her.

It was not true, he meant the world. But… Kili used to be a huge part of that world before Legolas appeared. 

And when she suddenly met him again and found out what he was planning to do… Setting off to South America in search of some rare diamonds with his lunatic of an uncle and a bunch of his sleazy sidekicks…

It was as if her childhood, her past was coming back at her and coming to an end at the same time. Kili used to be her best fried, and for a short time, also more than just that. They hadn’t been a good match though and their romantic relationship didn’t last, but there was still a special place for him in her heart. 

All she wanted was to convince him not to go, the area they were planning on going to was a really dangerous one, he would literally risk his life. And why! A debt of gratitude to an uncle who had pretended to take care of him after his parents’ death didn’t seem like a good reason to give up on his own dreams and plans…

Only, who was she now to tell what he was really dreaming of? 

Three years had passed since she moved to Ireland, the dreams they had shared when she still lived in Nevada could have no longer been his any more. 

After all, she also had changed, become a different person, started a new life. 

A life that was slowly falling apart as she tried to save his. 

Maybe it wasn’t worth it. Maybe he didn’t want to be saved. 

She sighed.

She would go to see him tomorrow for the last time to try and make him change his mind. 

And to say goodbye. 

***

Cleopatra watched the Hummer as it slowly made its way down the driveway, the muffled sound of gravel being thrown up from under the wheels reaching her acute ears through the air-tight windows. 

As soon as the car disappeared from her range of vision, she left her favourite observation spot on the living room window sill, hopped down to the couch and to the floor and hurriedly made her way towards the hall, the pitter-patter of her tiny paws resounding. 

“Cleo! You madwoman, watch it!”, Evelyn yelled after her as she regained her balance after having almost tripped over the cat as it flashed by, the dishes in her hands clattering dangerously. 

Shaking her head, she made her way across the living room and towards the kitchen, her delicious curves swaying gracefully as she did so. 

She was wearing a black turtleneck tank top and black super-skinny jeans, her wet hair cascading down her back and reaching almost past her butt.

“This is really important to me, I _need_ you to see it”, a calm, mature voice resounded from the open  
window, a laptop with a video chat on screen, placed on a vast, low window sill, the display showing an elderly man, his long, grey hair encircling the oval face with a long, grey beard, a prominent nose and sharp, merry eyes.

“Gandalf, I’ve already told you. There’s so much going on right now with the new series of articles for JEA that I’m supposed to write, the translations I still need to make of some of the texts we have found in Cairo and Thranduil has asked me to back him up with his new architecture project recently, which will also take some of my time, especially that it’s a whole new ground to me”, she said as she put the empty beef stew bowls, the glass and the empty bottle of beer in the sink. 

“Do not forget about the academic year starting in September, which means I will be spending most of my time at the University. I have no idea what my agenda will look like and therefore I can’t commit myself to any new project at the moment”, she said, Gandalf nodding his head as he rolled his eyes. “Yes, yes, yes, I know”, he muttered. “All I’m asking is that you just take a look, my dear”, he said as he put the pipe to his lips, his gaze fixed on Evelyn.

“Why can’t you just tell me what it is?”, she asked as she wiped her hands, Gandalf shaking his head. “Because I _do not know_ what it is”, he said, his gaze becoming distant as though he was looking for the right word to describe what he had seen. “It is unlike anything I have seen in the past, but if my assumptions are right, we are on the verge of discovering an Irish Tikal. Unless, of course I am just an old lunatic, who has spent too much time in his books...”, he murmured to himself, Evelyn raising her head at the sound of opening the door as it was leading from the garage. 

“Gandalf, I need to go, Legolas has just arrive I haven’t seen him for months”, she said as two blond-haired heads appeared in the hall. “I promise I will take a look and give you a call, okay?”, she asked and he nodded, apparently relieved. “Yes, I will be looking forward to it. And give my regards to the young fellow, I still think he would be better off in my department”, he said before saying goodbye, Eveleyn smiling radiantly as she inclined her head before ending the connection. 

Having turned the screen off, she made her way towards the hall, her arms already wide open and she laughed through tears as she closed them around her only child. 

“Mom, it’s so good to see you”, he said, the familiar scent of home filling his nostrils the moment  
she hugged him, his muscles loosening up under the impact of some invisible strength.

“Legolas, my beautiful boy”, she said gently as she held him close, her gaze meeting Thranduil’s over his shoulder and they connected in a silent dialogue.

Having gently pulled away, she took his head in her hands and placed a motherly kiss on his  
forehead, her eyes wandering all over his face as she squinted with a radiant smile. “Are you hungry, sweetheart? I have made some pancakes”, she said, a quiet sound of pawsteps on the floor resounding as Wolf appeared to greet another member of his human family, Cleopatra already rubbing herself against Legolas’ leg.

“Yes, very”, he said as he crouched, Cleopatra pushing her head into his palm before turning around, her slim body wrapping itself around his leg like a pretzel. 

“Hungry like a wolf”, he laughed, his fingers sinking into the dog’s thick coat, Evelyn shifting her gaze back to Thranduil who approached her, his arm brushing against hers as he placed his car keys in the key basket.

“I’ll be back in an hour”, he said as he towered over her, his hands gently cupping her face. “Take your phone with you”, she said and he leaned forward, his lips brushing against hers. “I will”. 

***

Having disposed of a plastic bag in a nearby dog waste bin, Thranduil attached the elastic leash to his belt, the other end of it stuck to Wolf’s harness, the dog’s nose close to the ground as he was sniffing while leisurely walking around the area.

The morning air was full of smells of fresh bread, fruits, fish as it had just been delivered to small grocery shops, the sounds of people going to work, laughing, blowing the horns echoing all around.

Having stepped on the running track, he set off in a moderate pace, Wolf following his lead as they ran along the river bank, the city slowly waking up to greet a new day. 

They took a route along the coast and towards the lighthouse, where they took a short stop to have a drink, Thranduil using a special portable dog water bottle to let Wolf quench his thirst before opening the one of his own.

For a few minutes they simply stood there while taking in the view and smell of the sea before resuming their run, the tract leading them down the coastline and through a sun-bathed valley as it was surrounded with mountains, a green wall of trees looming in the distance.

Having reached the park, they passed trees and fountains, majestic, deciduous forest growing on each side of a vast alley, Thranduil every now and then nodding his head or raising his hand in a greeting gesture as it was aimed at a fellow runner, a biker or a person walking their dog as they passed by. 

“Hey boys!”, an attractive, long haired blond in a tight sweatsuit smiled back at him and waved her hand as she ran by.

It wasn’t long before the monumental ruins of an old castle started looming in the distance, the area becoming more deserted, the path as it was leading towards an ornamented gate drawing a wilder flora to overgrow both sides of it. The shadows grew thicker, the smells and sounds of wild flowers, trees and brooks filling the air as they slowly entered what was deemed the most haunted area of the park. 

It felt almost as if the time had stopped in this place long ago, the energy filling the entire space along with a meaningful silence and a peculiar gravity of the dark, majestic walls of an erstwhile fortress as it was protected by an impassable, evergreen thicket. 

At a certain point Wolf took a glance at the wall of trees, the alert gaze of his ice-blue eyes fixed on something he rather sensed than saw, but it was enough to make his hackles rise.

“Leave it”, a quiet command as it was spoken in a peaceful voice made him relax again, his master’s calm and steady pace drawing his attention back to the track ahead. 

Having left the gloomy, overshadowing stone giant behind, Thranduil unleashed him, the dog wandering off, his moves graceful and silent as he closed the distance separating him from his master again. He stayed close as they passed the forest brook with mossy rocks, tree roots and branches leaning into the water. Someone’s laughter echoed in the distance followed by other people’s voices. 

Soon the trees started to grow less thickly, the air became warmer as more sunshine reached the area through their crowns. One could already see the black motorway ribbon flashing in between the trees at the end of the path as it was leading out of the park. 

Without stopping, Thranduil took the leash and attached it to Wolf’s harness as the dog silently caught up and was now steadily running at his side again. 

“Good boy, Wolf. Let’s go home”, he said as he patted his neck, the two heading towards the green canopy outlet.

***

“God, Irish coffee is a blessing. The one I drank in the US tasted like dishwater”, Legolas muttered as he sat back and relished the taste of his Capuccino, traces of Nutella still lingering in the corners of his mouth. 

“That’s harsh”, Evelyn said as she leaned forward and gently brushed his hair aside, her warm hand cupping his cheek. “How was your stay in Missouri other than that you didn’t like the coffee?”, she asked, Legolas wincing. “Not too bad”, he said as he covered his mouth to stifle a yawn. “First we went to Kansas to see Tauriel’s mother and then we moved to Nevada, where her father lives.”

“How long has it been since they got divorced?”, she asked as she scooped a few crumbs from the table and threw them onto an empty plate. 

“Two years. They still aren’t talking to each other though”, he said and smirked, Evelyn frowning. “From what I have heard it was an ugly divorce. After all, that’s why Tauriel came to live with her aunt in Ireland in the first place, to get away”, she said, Legolas remaining silent as he fixed his gaze on the table.

“How is she? You haven’t said a word about her since you came, is everything okay”, she asked, Legolas shaking his head. “I broke up with her. She cheated on me”, he said, his voice determined as he looked her straight in the eyes, her eyebrows going up. “She...”, she started and trailed off, her mouth falling open as he nodded. She frowned as she closed her mouth, her teeth clenching. “She slept with another?”, she asked, her voice low, Legolas frowning slightly. “No… I don’t know”, he said as he lowered his gaze back to the table. “I saw them kissing”, he whispered, his eyes filled with pain and anger. “Them, meaning who?”, she asked, a bitter smile appearing on his face. “Her ex”, he spat, Evelyn contemplating his words. “Did you talk to her about it? Did she explain why she did that?”, she asked, a sad laughter escaping him as he shook his head. “She said he took her by surprise. Only it took a good moment before I spoke and made my presence known, she didn’t seem surprised, it looked more as though she was...”, he trailed off, his cheeks blushing slightly and Evelyn sighed. “…enjoying herself”, she finished the sentence for him and he nodded, his blush deepening. 

She looked away and inhaled deeply, her anger rising, but she was determined not to let it show. “Making decisions in anger isn’t such a good idea, Legolas”, she said and he frowned, his finger mercilessly crushing one lonely crumb over and over again. 

“People make mistakes and being with another person, sometimes you need to learn to forgive each other”, she said, his gaze lifting to hers and he pouted. “It’s about the trust she has betrayed”, he said and she inclined her head to show her understanding. “It takes a lot of work to rebuilt it”, she acknowledged as she pointed her finger at him. “It is the question you need to ask yourself – whether you want to let her try”, she said out loud, her gaze hardening at the unspoken thought.

_Just wait until I get my hands on you, you fucking little bitch_.

***

A subtle breeze played with a lace curtain, the soft material dancing around a telescope as it was aimed at the cloudless sky. 

Legolas turned the page of the book, his gaze sliding over the text, but he didn’t really know what he was reading. 

He was lying on his bed, his foot in a white sock twitching as it was casually leaning on his knee, a pair of trainers lying next to the bed right where they had been thrown. 

The room was rustic in its style, though modern and minimalistic, on the geometrically patterned carpet as it was lying in the proximity of the bed stood a small black coffee table, a simple couch providing a comfortable seat, three white shelves with photos, souvenirs and some books, hanging on the wall.

The bed was facing a small fireplace with a shadow-like outline of a branchy family tree hanging above, a worn, sport backpack lying under a large, wooden desk as it was standing by the window, pencils and ball pens sticking out of a pen holder as it was adorned with funny, artificial grass. 

Legolas cleared his throat, his gaze resting on the backpack, then he lifted it slowly to the poster as it was hanging right above his desk, _PARKOUR – THE ART OF FREE RUNNING_ slogan calling out from the wall. 

He started tapping his fingers against the bed, pouted his lips a few times, finally inhaled deeply and got up, the book remaining forgotten on the bed where he had left it. 

He desperately needed to get rid of an excess energy and there was only one way to do it.

Having walked over to his closet room, he changed to a sweatsuit, a black scrunchie sticking out of his mouth as he walked back to the bedroom while collecting his hair in a ponytail. 

Having put his trainers on, he took his phone, put it in the backpack and left.


	7. Chapter 7

It was quarter to five, the sun already starting to descend as it bathed the buildings and streets in the amber shade of gold. 

Legolas was waiting to cross the street, a turquoise-haired girl standing next to him, her boy-like haircut adorned with just three thin corncrows falling down her shoulders as they were wrapped in a colour blotting paper.

Her name was Sinead and they were making their way back from their parkour training, Legolas walking her home.

“I like the way you move. You have an unusual ability to control your body”, she said, her small form wrapped in black sweatpants and a matching tank top with holes swaying funnily as she demonstrated her words and Legolas couldn’t help but laugh as a few people turned around to look at her as they stood at the traffic lights, waiting for the green light to appear.

“Here, you smiled for the first time since I met you”, she laughed while pointing at him, self-satisfaction clear in her voice. 

It was true, although he’d been feeling low the entire day, she managed to bring some lightness to his mood, however he didn’t know how, especially that he only met her today.

“Where did you learn to run and jump like that?”, she asked as the light changed to green and they entered the zebra crossing.

“I don’t know, my dad has taught me the basics and I got the parkour bug...”, he said as he moved to the side, his arm shifting as he passed a woman in a two-piece dress hurrying in the opposite direction.

“Your dad is a freerunner??”, Sinead asked with admiration and disbelief clear in her voice, Legolas biting down on his lip as he frowned slightly. “Not quite, he doesn’t do it any more”, he mumbled as they reached the other side of the road and he ushered her before him, the girl turning around as she waited for him to catch up, her short, turquoise hair making her stand out in the crowd, even despite her tiny form – she only reached up to his shoulder.

“And where did you learn how to parkour? You’re quite good at it yourself”, he said as they passed the shopping centre entrance, the photo sensor doors opening as people walked in and out, music playing in the background. 

“I...”, she trailed off abruptly as she shrugged and stopped to let a young man through, an almost empty plastic bag in his hand inflating like a parachute.

There was a car horn, Legolas turning around to see the man miraculously avoiding getting struck by a car as he slalomed his way to the other side of the road, Sinead muttering something about no-brainers. 

“You okay?”, he asked as he sent her a quick look, her breathing slightly accelerated, but she waved her hand and smiled anyway. “Yeah, I just got a little spooked, that’s all”, she laughed as she looked at the blue sky above. 

Having passed the corner, they entered a more industrial part of the city, exclusive shopping centres and coffee shops disappearing to be replaced by red stone buildings and heavy, tinny gates; it was also quieter in here, despite a grass-vegetated embankment spreading out ahead of them as it was provided with kilometres of rail tracks.

“So, how did you learn to freerun?”, he repeated his question, Sinead smiling broadly as she put her hands on her hips, her head lifted up, eyes closed as she exposed her freckled face to the sun. “I was in rehab when I met David. He was there to help us. And he did a really good job”, she said, Legolas frowning as he processed the information. David was their parkour coach. But… rehab?

As if reading his mind, she cleared her throat, her voice indifferent as she continued sunbathing, the golden light bringing out the grassy green shade of her hair.

“I was addicted to meth. For four years”, she said, Legolas remaining silent as he fixed his eyes on her. There was a distant lingering howl as it was soon followed by a repetitive sound of railroad barrier closing itself.

“Are you...”, he trailed off, suddenly embarrassed, the gravel crunching under their feet.

“Been clean for eight months, two days and approximately six hours”, she said without opening her eyes, her fist lifted up in a victorious gesture. 

“Wow… That’s, ummm…”, he trailed off and fell silent as he was looking for the right words. “I was diagnosed with mild ADHD when I was eight.”

He had no idea why he said that.

Besides the fact that it was completely out of context, he never mentioned that to anyone whom he had just met. In fact, very few people knew about it, his parents respected his need for privacy and tried not to discuss his personal life with others. 

He now sent Sinead a sideways glance, a slight frown marking her forehead before she burst into hysterical laughter, which continued until he finally picked up on it and they were both laughing hard, tension magically disappearing from the air.

Having regained her composure, she used the back of her palms to wipe her eyes, Legolas sniffing as he could also feel some dampness in his eyes.

“Seriously dude, you master subject change like a boss”, she said and he noticed her hands shake slightly despite the lightness of her voice.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know why I said that. It was stupid and so… trivial comparing to what you have confessed”, he said as they passed a half-open gate, the green grass with a sole apple tree nestled in between the frame of shabby walls.

“I’d say it was a conversation with a twist”, she said, her voice serene as she suddenly stopped and he frowned, the gravel crunching under his shoes as he halted as well.

“That’s me”, she said, his eyes widening as he realized she was pointing at the shabby gate with a green oasis behind it. “You live here?”, he asked as he inspected a decrepit house of red stone, some flats apparently empty, black holes gaping where the windows once used to be.

“Charming – isn’t it?”, she laughed, Legolas feeling really stupid as he opened and immediately closed his mouth, and she touched his arm in a friendly manner, the oddly nice sensation disappearing as soon as she took her hand away.

“Thank you for walking me home...”, she laughed, the sound of an approaching train making it hard to catch the rest of what she said, something about _dying_ and _story_ , but before he asked her to come again, she already turned around and was now disappearing in the slanting entrance door, Legolas standing there, the roar of the passing train filling his ears.

***

“Send it by priority letter today”, Thranduil said, the golden nib of his fountain pen sparkling as he placed his signature on the contract pages, a grey-haired, short man standing next to him lowering his eyes. “Of course. I am so sorry I called you during your time off, boss. I completely forgot about this agreement”, he mumbled, his hands shaking slightly as he scooped the papers from a huge black wooden desk. 

His name was Marcus and he was one of the Project Managers in Gleann Ltd. - an architecture company owned by Thranduil, the latter now straightening himself, his arm as it was wrapped in a black shirt brushing against a massive leather seat. 

“Is there anything else?”, he asked, his voice freezing cold, blue eyes piercing the smaller man like two icy daggers as he re-capped the pen and put it back in the black, built-in pen stand, an antique, beautifully carved desktop clock indicating five o’clock sharp.

They were in his study as it was located at the highest, fifth floor of his office building, huge windows reaching from the floor almost to the very ceiling while overlooking the centre of Dublin. 

There was a beige lining on the floor, a heavy drawing board standing by the window as it was covered with architectural plans and drawing devices, a comfortable leather stool placed in front of it. All furniture was made of heavy black wood, a huge conference table standing at the distant corner of the room, ten black leather chairs standing on each side of it. 

The room smelled of wood, leather and ink, a subtle aroma of cologne adding to the masculine vibe that this place undoubtedly held. 

“No, that would be all”, the grey-haired man said as he traced the sheets’ edges between his thumb and index finger. “Danny is working on the sanitary installations design of the Majestic Hotel, the project should be on your desk on Tuesday...”, he trailed off at the wave of hand signalizing that this was not to be discussed now. 

“I will be reachable on my mobile, but call me _only_ in case of utmost urgency. All other things can wait until Friday”, Thranduil said as he started making his way towards the heavy black wooden door, an attractive young woman as she was sitting behind a massive, semicircular desk lifting her head the moment his tall form appeared in the door frame, her gaze resting on Marcus as he was now leaving while mumbling apologies, an odd mixture of competence and amusement filling her blue eyes.

She was wearing a neat white blouse and a dark graphite pencil skirt, her shiny brown hair collected in a sleek bun, tiny diamond stud earrings fixed in her earlobes, her fingers still resting on the PC keyboard, the computer screen in front of her provided with a blue light filter. She shifted her gaze to Thranduil, their eyes meeting. 

“I’m off, Paulline. In case of urgent matters, consult with Marcus or Sophia. Good day”, he said, his voice cold, but soft and she sent him a friendly smile. “Of course. Good day, boss”, she said and he nodded as he made his way towards the door, his hair swaying gently as he turned around with his hand already on the door handle, the Celtic infinity wedding band sparking on his finger. “Have you received the profit and loss statement from Ville?”, he asked, her eyes fixed on him as she stopped typing. “Nope”, she said and he held her smart gaze as she awaited his instructions. “Chase them up”, he ordered calmly and she nodded and immediately raised herself from her seat, the beige enamel on her finger nails contrasting with the blackness of the stationary phone as she picked up the receiver and started dialling the area code of Sweden on the numeric panel, her gaze flying back up to Thranduil at the sound of his voice. “If you don’t get it by nine o’clock tomorrow morning, drop me a text”, he said and she nodded. “Right, sir”, she said as she resumed dialling the number, Thranduil’s broad shoulders swaying as he left the room, the semi-automatic door with a golden doorplate saying _Management Board Office_ closing behind him quietly.

***

Evelyn lifted her head, her gaze lingering on the garden as it was sparkling with all shades of blue, brown and green, a beautiful stone bridge leading straight towards the wicket gate as it was adorned with green vine. 

Having shifted her attention from the view outside the window as it was dressed up in a short, floral-patterned lace curtain, she sighed, sewing supplies placed all over the table top in front of her, Thranduil’s shirt resting on her lap as she was sewing buttons back to it. 

She was sitting at a white table in the laundry room, a subtle aroma of detergent and rinsing liquid filling the air, white foam already gathering behind the glass door of a washing machine, its quiet hum resounding in the background as it was accompanied by a calm ticking of a big round clock indicating five minutes past five, a small, rectangular front door sensor as it was mounted right under the ceiling remaining silent, the green diode staying permanently on.

Having dipped her fingers in a small, blue container, she selected the last button, her thumb and forefinger stretching out the material as she placed it on the table top, a slight frown marking her forehead. 

She put the button aside and brushed her fingertip over a small tear, the alexandrite in her Celtic wedding ring sparkling in blueish-green as she did so. 

She lifted the shirt up to investigate the tear more closely, a subtle, masculine aroma of cologne filling her nostrils as she did so.

Buggers.

Unless she did something about it, the shirt was to dump. Although small, the rip would be noticeable at a closer look. And even if not, Thranduil was a perfectionist when it came to his clothes, he liked them to be clean and neat, anything with stains or holes was unacceptable.

Hmmm… Not good. This shirt was one of his favourites... 

She searched the sewing supplies and selected a thinner needle, one of her eyes closed as she threaded the needle with a fine, embroidery silk thread. Having used her own fingers to stretch the fabric out, she indulged herself in a tedious process of artistic darning, her lips puckered as she whistled quietly. 

***

It was twenty past five when she stood up, shook out the shirt and held it up to the fading daylight, her fingers gently twisting the material.

Okay, it was done, the mending was invisible under the button as it was now sewed back up.

Having put the shirt aside, she started putting all the sewing supplies back to the toolbox, her anxious gaze going up to the window and she looked around, the fingers of her left hand closing around her phone as it was lying on the light blue window sill.

Having entered the dialler tab, she scrolled down until Legolas’ name appeared on the list, then she tapped her thumb on it and held the phone to her ear, a huff of vexation escaping her when the network announcement came on instantly.

_The number you are trying to reach is currently unavailable. Please try again later._

Having put the phone to her pocket, she took the shirt in her hand and approached a triple wicker laundry sorter, her gaze resting on a pile of dark clothes, as it was lying on the floor. 

Having placed the shirt in the leftmost sorter compartment, she stooped and took Legolas’ blue jeans in her hand, the metal belt buckle clinking against the multicolour stone floor as she lifted the piece of garment up.

She removed the belt, the stiff leather brushing against the loops and creasing the material as she did so, then she placed it on an empty shelf above the clothes dryer, the washing machine quietly entering the first spinning cycle. 

Deeply in thought, the crease marking her forehead, she dipped her fingers in each pocket, her eyebrow going up as she found a condom in the last one, the purple wrapping contrasting with the stainless steel grey as she placed it on the dryer, her fingers moving swiftly as she zipped and buttoned the jeans up before putting them in the rightmost sorter compartment along with the rest of the dark clothes, including Thranduil’s black jeans.

Having put the condom into her back pocket, she took her mobile off and left the laundry room, the image of her putting the phone to her ear disappearing as the door closed behind her, the washing machine’s glass door reflecting a small rug as it was lying on the floor in front of it, the inscription on the fabric saying: _FAMILY – Because of you, my life is brilliant._


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To all those of you, who speak Arabic - please forgive me that I used a phonetic transcription of your beautiful language, I am including the original sentences written using your alphabet in the notes at the end of the chapter. 
> 
> Since I do not speak Arabic and, unfortunately, I don't have any friends who speak it, I had to rely on all sorts of online dictionaries when making the translations and it is really not easy to do it if you don't know the language at all, haha. 
> 
> If you find a mistake in Arabic phrases I used, please feel free to correct me, I was doing my best, but using a completely different language for the first time is really difficult.

Having taken his keys out of his backpack, Legolas opened the wicket gate, a click of an automatic lock mechanism being accompanied by a quiet rustle of green and red vine as he entered the garden, his footsteps followed by the sound of heavy cast iron doors closing behind him.

With a soothing murmur of water in the pond under his feet, he made his way across the stone bridge, the scent of resin filling his nostrils as he walked among the conifers, his backpack, as he carried it on one shoulder, brushing against the stone fountain.

He was getting near to the porch when the door slammed open and he stopped, his eyes widening at the sight of his mother, her hazel orbs burning with blazing fire mixed with concern as she scanned him from head to toe, her features resembling those of an angry panther as she charged in his direction.

“Mum…?”, he trailed off as she pulled him into a desperate hug only to almost shove him away a second after, her gaze pinning him down to the spot, even though she was the one looking up. “Do you know how many times I called you?”, she said through clenched teeth and he frowned, his fingers reaching to the backpack’s pocket where he used to keep his phone and pressed the side button with his thumb, the screen remaining black.

He forgot to turn it on after he had turned it off while driving home with his dad.

“Hmmm, I see you don’t have a watch either”, she hissed, her warm hand grabbing his left wrist as she pulled his sleeve up and he looked at her when she moved aside, her arm stretched out, index finger pointing at the house. “Inside!”, she roared, Legolas opening his mouth, but closing it immediately as she sent him a murderous look, his steps directed towards the multicolour stone floor of the porch. 

Suddenly Cleopatra appeared in the doorway, her intrigued gaze scanning the garden as she made a few steps towards the porch, two big hands preventing her from wandering any farther as she was gently scooped from the floor by Thranduil, the cat sending him a reproachful gaze, but accepting this temporary deprivation of liberty. 

He held the animal close to his chest with one hand, his cold eyes boring into Legolas as he passed him in the doorway. “An hour, son”, he said as he slowly shook his head, Legolas muttering something unintelligible and Thranduil sent him a look that could kill before shifting his gaze to Evelyn, a tender kiss placed on her forehead as he hugged her with one hand, and she closed her eyes, a sigh of relief escaping her. 

Having hung his keys on an empty key holder hook, Legolas took his shoes off, his gaze resting on the wall clock as it was hanged in the main hall, the corner of his eye registering Cleopatra as she stormed passed him, all miffed. 

***

Tauriel looked down at a glossy stone resting in the centre of her palm, old runes as they were carved on the dark surface forming a combination of black lines.

“You’ve changed”, a deep, low voice resounded next to her and she frowned, Kili’s arm brushing against hers as he walked next to her. 

“What do you mean?”, she asked as she put the stone back in her pocket, the fabric of her light green, frilly blouse lying down gently against her slim features.

It was a hot, sultry early Friday afternoon, the sound of car engines as it was mixed with people’s laughter resounding as those who were lucky enough took their chance to get of town for the weekend or simply enjoyed having left from work early and were now strolling back home. 

“I don’t know”, he said as he kicked a random paper mug as it was lying on the pavement, the object rolling away towards a nearby lawn. “I don’t feel our natural connection any more”, he said, Tauriel fixing her gaze on a pedestrian crossing ahead as she contemplated his words. The light changed to red and some impatient cyclist was now continuously pushing the button to get the green light on again, his head turning in both directions.

She exhaled through her nose, a thin vertical line marking her forehead. “I don’t think there has been any connection between us for a long time now, Killian”, she said, Kili sending her a lingering look at the sound of his full name as it came out of her mouth. 

Having pursed his lips, he fixed his gaze ahead, his voice harsh as he spoke. “You were the one who left, not me”, he said, his eyes searching the view before him, but he didn’t see much.

Tauriel stopped, her eyes boring into his back and he suddenly looked to the side and turned around, question marks in his gaze.

Having resumed her walk, she held his gaze, then shook her head. Suddenly she felt oddly relieved and sad at the same time. It seemed as if he had cut the last ties connecting them with this one sentence. 

***

Legolas walked into the library, the sound of doors closing behind him echoing in between the shelves as they groaned under the weight of hundreds of books, an intoxicating aroma of centuries filling the air. 

His footsteps resounded on the stone floor as he passed a serpentine of stairs leading to the library’s upper floor, the entire space illuminated with a candelabra chandelier as it was hanging from a night sky ceiling, endless constellations as they were painted with a fluorescent paint creating the aura of depth and infinity.

Having reached a heavy wooden door as they were located on the opposite side, he knocked gently, on the other side of the door Evelyn raising her head from the photocopy of a manuscript as she was studying it through a large magnifying glass. “Come in”, she said, her hazel eyes remaining motionless as her son’s blond-haired head popped in.

“Am I disturbing you?”, he asked and she blinked, her eyes boring into his intently. “You never disturb me, Legolas”, she said as she put the magnifying glass aside, Legolas quietly closing the door and approaching an old, beautifully carved wooden desk, his hair lying gently on it as he leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on the crown of her head. “Ana asifat, mama”, he said into her hair, the three words as he spoke them in her mother tongue making her roll her eyes and she smiled gently. “Aietidhar maqbul, abnay almakira”, she said, her warm gaze meeting his as he straightened himself slowly. “Have you turned the phone back on?”, she asked and he nodded while sitting on an upholstered chair as it was standing on the other side of the desk. “Yeah, I did it right away when I got back. Although, like I said, it was dad who told me to turn it off in the first place...”, he chuckled, Evelyn shaking her head as she pointed her finger at him. “I wouldn’t mention that again in his presence if I were you, son”, she said and he nodded slowly, his smile fading at the memory of his father’s fury as he smashed his fist against the kitchen table and told him to get a fucking job and move the hell out, then nobody would care whether or not he came back home. 

Having inhaled deeply, he took a glance at the paper as it was lying in front of his mother. “What are you working on?”, he asked and she sent him a scrutinizing gaze. “It is a copy of a manuscript we have found in one of the nameless tombs twenty kilometres south from Cairo”, she said, Legolas nodding his head as he eyed the paper intently. “The structure, writing style and age of the manuscript bear striking resemblance to the documents that have been found over the years in the library walls of Ramses II in Luxor”, she she said and he frowned, his eyes meeting hers. “Wow, that’s some six hundreds kilometres from Cairo. How did it end up there?”, he asked and she shrugged, her head lowering as she rested her gaze back on the manuscript. “That’s what we need to find out”, she chuckled, her eyes sparkling with child-like excitement as she raised them to look at her son. “My job is to translate it to contemporary Arabic and English, while my colleagues in Cairo make further examination of the original“, she said and he smiled. “May I?”, he asked and she nodded, the manuscript leaving the desk as he took it in his hand, his eyes eagerly running through the fine cursive writing system covering almost the entire page. “I thought they used hieroglyphs in ancient Egypt”, he said, Evelyn shaking her head. ”Hieroglyphic writing system was used in its initial form almost from the second half of the fourth millennium, but it soon turned out too complicated to be used on a daily basis, therefore it was replaced with hieratic around the third millennium BCE and then with demotic around 660 BCE”, she patiently explained, Legolas nodding his head as he pursed his lips. “Which one is this?”, he asked, Evelyn smiling gently. “This paper here”, she said while nodding her head towards the photocopy in his hands, “was written using a hieratic, which would indicate its author being someone higher up, perhaps a priest”, she said, Legolas swallowing the document with his eyes. “A demotic was mostly used for private correspondence and by lower class residents”, she said as she looked at her wrist watch, a delicate golden chain staying in a nice contrast with her tanned skin. 

It was half past six.

“Have you seen your dad?”, she asked, Legolas nodding his head as he continued studying the paper. “Mhm… He was in the kitchen, cleaning this vertical shwarma grill”, he said absent-mindedly, Evelyn stretching, her head moving right and left as she was loosening the stiffness in her neck. “Put the paper back on my desk on your way out, honey”, she said as she slowly rose from her chair and gently pushed it in, her moves graceful as she walked round the massive, desk. “I’m going to the kitchen, the dinner’s been kept at a simmer in the oven. It should be ready in fifteen minutes”, she said, her fingers playfully stroking his hair as she passed him on her way to the door. 

***

Two strong arms embraced her from the back, Evelyn letting out a low chuckle as she tilted her head to the side, Thranduil’s lips caressing her skin tenderly. “Mmm… The entire home smells like you”, he whispered into her ear as he inhaled deeply, the spicy-chocolate aroma of thyme, rosewood and ylang-ylang filling his nostrils. 

Having leaned back, she rested her head on his shoulder, his nose brushing her turtleneck aside, hot lips gently sucking on the exposed skin.

“Our offspring is gonna be here any minute...”, she murmured and he playfully nibbled on her bare shoulder, his hands finding hers as they were covered in black currant juice and he brushed his fingers against hers before lacing them together. “So what? We’re not doing anything wrong”, he whispered, Evelyn brushing her bum against the fabric of his jeans, her heartbeat accelerating. “And I wish we were...”, she murmured, his teeth sinking deeper into her skin and she inhaled sharply, her fingers lacing tighter with his.

A sudden noise as it was coming from the living room made them get back to reality as they both turned around from the counter, Evelyn snorting at the sight of Wolf and Cleopatra as they burst into the kitchen and it was hard to say who was was chasing who. 

Having frozen on stiff forepaws, Wolf fixed his intent gaze on the cat, who on the other side got her back up as she hissed, her fiery, green eyes shooting thunderbolts straight into the two pools of ice. 

Yet, Wolf’s tail kept wagging, meanwhile Cleopatra’s remained still and gently curved upwards, her paw shooting up, but without an intent to hurt as the dog attempted a few playful attacks.

“Don’t they remind you of us when we fight?”, Thranduil murmured into Evelyn’s ear, a cheerful laughter escaping her as he pulled her closer, his lips placing a tender kiss on her temple. 

“You don’t usually jump like this, I mostly end up pinned against the wall...”, she muttered as she lifted her head, her teeth nibbling on his jaw. 

“And you’re not this gentle with me when you scratch, bite and kick… everywhere...”, he said, his face wincing at the memory of her knee connecting his crotch one time and she let out a small _awww_. “It was an accident, I didn’t mean to...”, she murmured as she tenderly kissed his jaw, her warm palm resting on his cheek as she made him turn his head, her lips sealing with his in a tender, yet possessive kiss and he sighed quietly, his arms closing tightly against her waist.

Legolas stopped halfway down the stairs, a mixture of abashment and respect appearing on his face as he quietly turned around and withdrew to let his parents share a moment of tenderness.

Having reached the top of the stairs, he shook his head, a lenient smile appearing on his face as he directed his steps towards one of the spare bathrooms, a subtle aroma of watermelon filling his nostrils as he walked in.

Actually, he may go wash his hands before dinner. 

***

“So who is gonna be at the barbecue tomorrow?”, Legolas asked as he cut out a piece of stuffed zucchini, the juice as it was mixed with tomato mousse and mild molten cheese pouring out onto his brown plate. 

He, Thranduil and Evelyn were seating at the dining table in their spacious kitchen, the world outside slowly falling under a subtle veil of an approaching evening. 

It was quiet, Wolf lying on his side by the fireplace, Cleopatra nestled in between his forepaws, her head raised up high as she was licking his thick fur, the dog’s calm, contented gaze fixed straight ahead as he let the grooming operations continue. 

“Just a few people”, Evelyn said as she cut her zucchini to small bits, the movements of her knife reflected in a crystal wine glass standing next to her plate. “Georgia, Sean, Megan and the girls, Elrond, Mandy, Jonathan...”, she trailed off as Legolas suddenly chuckled, her eyebrow going up as she snorted and sent him a sideways look. “What?”, she muttered and he shook his head while emitting rattling sounds as he laughed, his cheeks puffed. 

Having rolled her eyes, she sent a quick look at Thranduil, the unamused gaze of his ice-blue eyes fixed on their son and she couldn’t help but laugh, her shoulders bouncing up and down as she lowered her head and resumed the cutting of her cucurbit to pieces.

“I remembered Mandy’s last hairdo”, Legolas spat out and this time everyone, including Thranduil roared with laughter, Evelyn almost lying flat on the table. “It was not a hairdo...”, she mumbled through tears. “It was a coiffure”, she whimpered as she laughed, her gaze fixed on Thranduil who put his knife away on the plate in a resignful manner, his shoulders raising and falling, stentorian laughter escaping his chest. 

“I wish I had taken a photo”, Legolas wheezed out, Evelyn shaking her head as she reached out for a light yellow napkin, her shoulders still bouncing up and down as she wiped her eyes. “Oh God, Mandy and her love for the 80s hairstyles”, she chuckled, another fit of laughter making her snort into the napkin at the memory of a friend’s spectacular mullet. 

There was a quiet sound of claws against the floor as Wolf stood up, his moves graceful as he carefully stepped over Cleopatra and slowly walked over to the terrace window, his wistful gaze fixed on the view outside.

Having gradually stopped laughing, Thranduil shifted his gaze to the dog before taking his fork and knife back in his hands. 

Having cut off a piece of the zucchini with a surgeon’s precision, he used it to carefully gather the excess stuffing that had poured out before putting it in his mouth, his gaze resting on Evelyn as he chewed, his mouth moving with leisurely zest. 

“Who’s up for a walk after dinner?”, he asked, her glazed, reddened eyes flying up to him as she nodded her head while crumpling up the used napkin, her eyes still filled with amusement. 

Having taken the fork back in her hand, she used it to stab a piece of cucurbit, her head turning to her left as she looked at her son, Thranduil’s voice resounding at the same time as hers. 

“Legolas?”, they asked simultaneously and exchanged a warm glance, Legolas shaking his head as he reach out for his wine. “Nah, I think I’m gonna stay home and activate the rot mode”, he said as he took a sip and put the glass down, a sound of knife scratching on his plate making Evelyn wince, Thranduil sending him a murderous glance and he snorted and mumbled quiet apologies. “There’s _Mad Monster Party_ on TV tonight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> أنا آسفة أمي _Ana asifat, mama_ \- I'm sorry, mom
> 
> اعتذار مقبول ، ابني الماكرة _Aietidhar maqbul, abnay almakira_ \- Apology accepted, my cunning son


	9. Chapter 9

“You’re supposed to see your oncologist in September, have you made an appointment?”, Thranduil asked, Evelyn winding the leash around her wrist, Wolf’s side pressed against her thigh as they moved aside to make some room for a biker as he passed, his left pedal letting out a creaking sound with each push. “Not yet, there’s still time”, she said, his chest lifting in a discreet sigh. “Do it on Monday”, he said as he leaned in and placed a lingering kiss on the top of her head. “...please.” 

She chuckled, her hand slipping into the back pocket of his jeans. “I promise I will do it next week”, she said as she patted him playfully and he placed another kiss in her hair. “Fair enough”, he said as he tightened his grip around her waist, a brighter piece of grass looming in the distance as it was illuminated by nearby street lamps, a huge oak tree standing in the middle of it, its majestic branches stretching out possessively over the area. 

They walked through a birch grove, a grassy dirt road winding amongst the limestones and trees, a thin layer of smog as it were mixed with a distant sound of car horns reminding them that it was indeed the suburbs of a big, vibrant city that they lived in.

Having broken to the left, her warm palm pulling gently on Thranduil’s waist, she led the way across the grass, a gentle breeze playing with her hair and he inhaled through his nose, her sweet-spicy scent filling his nostrils. He cleared his throat, suddenly all he wanted being to hold her close while taking her garment off, piece by piece. 

There was a quiet click as she unleashed Wolf, the dog wandering off to inspect the area, his nose kept close to the ground.

Evelyn rubbed her palm across Thranduil’s back, his gaze lingering on her head as it was held up high, delicate smile lingering in the corners of her mouth as they reached the oak tree, the safe canopy pulling them into its own, secret ecosystem. 

“It was half this size when we were moving in, remember?”, she asked, her eyes inspecting the wrinkled bark, moss covering each crack and Thranduil reach out his hand, a sudden gust of wind making the leaves lean into his touch, the tree letting out a low, gentle creak. 

“As a child Legolas used to hide up there on the branches whenever he was angry with us”, he said as he patted the bark, Evelyn shaking her head. “I remember one time he climbed too high and almost fell, I don’t know, it was a fucking miracle we found him before he’d managed to hurt himself”, she muttered, Thranduil snorting as he looked around, his gaze localizing Wolf as he walked around the green grove, his wolven features making him look like a wild, mythical creature in its natural habitat. “I think I broke the record of how fast one can climb a tree that day”, he said as he shifted his gaze back to her, their eyes meeting.

“Come here, little one”, he said as he reached out his hand, the smell of his leather jacket as it was mixed with a deep aroma of his cologne filling her nostrils as she pressed her warm body against his and she chuckled, her hot breath caressing his ear.

Someone opened the door of a nearby pub, _Still Loving You_ by Scorpions filling the night air before the sound was muffled again.

 _“Every time you call my name...”_ , her husky contralto made him inhale, his arms tightening their hold around her swaying curves, as she sang the words of Abracadabra by Steve Miller Band sensually into his ear.

 _“I heat up like a burning flame...”_ , she sang, her lips brushing gently against his neck, his hands wandering down her waist and resting on her swinging hips. He started moving with her, a low chuckle escaping her as he placed both his hands on her butt, their bodies moving in unison.

The leash resting in her closed palm, she traced her hands up and down his muscled arms, her lips brushing against his cheek. _“Burning flame full of desire...”_ , she tilted her head to the side, his lips sucking gently on her neck as he slowly started to walk her back, her warm hand resting on his neck, under his hair.

Having pressed her gently against the tree, he cupped her face with his hands as he towered over her, his lips only inches from hers and she let out a quiet moan when he pressed himself against her even harder, his mouth invading hers as he entangled his fingers in her jet black strands, his lips and tongue devouring hers with a mixture of passion and tenderness. 

His body crushing her in such a familiar manner while falling into her awaiting embrace, she could feel his muscles flex as she took her time to trace her fingers up and down his shoulders while relishing the sensation of the steel-like cocoon as it was wrapped around her.

Having gently pulled away, he kept her in his arms, his embrace rocking her gently as he placed tender, lingering kisses on her temple, her intoxicating scent feeling his nostrils.

He pulled her closer, his cheek pressed against her silky hair and she gently traced her hands up and down his back, her ear close enough to his chest to hear his accelerated heartbeat. 

“Come on”, she said as she gently pulled away, her hand slipping into his and she sent him a come hither look over her shoulder. _“Let the fire get higher...”_

He hugged her from behind and they reeled and roared with laughter, Wolf raising his head and catching up as they called on him, the three of them heading back home.

***

Legolas opened a glass-enclosed cupboard, his fingers closing around a green, stoneware bowl as it was filled with shelled walnuts. With the bowl in his hand, he made his way across the kitchen, his slippers shuffling on the floor as he did so. 

Having stopped by the counter, he plucked a few red grapes from the bunch, one of the tall kitchen stools grating quietly against the floor as he jostled it unintentionally and he adjusted its position before leaving the kitchen, his steps being directed towards the living room, a brightly illuminated space resounding with BBC News, images of American soldiers in Iraq alternating with the utterances of a reporter in a bulletproof vest.

With a quiet click of the main switch as it was located on the wall by the entrance door, he turned off the light, the room immersing itself in a cosy afterglow of light blue and yellow lamp brackets as they were mounted on four stone pillars emerging from behind the curtains. 

Having placed the bowl on a coffee table, he shook off his slippers and took a seat at a black leather couch, the piece of furniture weighing down with a familiar puff as he sat comfortably with his legs curled up, his fingers closing around the remote control and he changed the channel to Kitchen TV, a young blond-haired woman with Australian accent swiftly chopping the red paprika before tossing it on the frying pan where it started sizzling as it was mixed with with what looked like beef stripes, coriander and onion.

Having reached out for the bowl, he dipped his fingers in it, the walnuts crunching in his mouth as he chewed, his eyes still following the blond on the screen as she swiftly poured water onto the frying pan, the ingredients stewing deliciously as they were now covered in the brown stock. 

An incoming message notification as it resounded somewhere in the kitchen made him groan as he put the grape in his mouth, stood up from the couch and made his way towards the counter, his bare feet pattering on the floor. 

Having grabbed the phone from the counter, he plucked another three grapes from the bunch, a quiet curse escaping him as he knocked his little toe against the stool leg again. 

Wincing slightly, he went back over to the living room and took his seat on the couch, his gaze fixed on the phone. 

Having rested his heel on the couch, he lit the screen, his expression changing to slight surprise at an e-mail from Trinity College Dublin with a class schedule.

He clicked on the attachment, a University company paper unfolding before his eyes, his gaze lingering on the bold type header: _Faculty of_ _Health Sciences,_ _School of Emergency Medicine,_ _First Year_. 

He scrolled, hours, lecturers’ names and classroom numbers filling the entire page.

Having reached out his hand to the bowl, he took another walnut, the TV as it resounded with a bleach commercial making him raise his head as he chewed, his gaze fixed on an overexcited brunette shaking her head while looking down at the pile of grass-stained T-shirts. 

He stared at her for a moment, his blank gaze watching her pour the pink liquid into a transparent  
bowl of water before he shifted his attention back to the phone and he spent some time acknowledging and processing the information.

Having turned off the screen, he leaned in and put the phone back on the table before sitting back, his meditative gaze fixed on the distant outline of the hills as they were looming in the darkness outside the window, the sound of Cleopatra digging and shuffling litter around in her litter box as it was placed in a quiet corner by the broom closet wrenching him slowly away from his thoughts.

He looked at the time as it was flashing on the plasma TV lower operating panel. It was 21:05. 

Having reached out his hand, he took the remote and changed the channel, _Mad Monster Party_ opening song filling the room, a quiet _meow_ as it resounded from the living room door merging into melodic line perfectly, Legolas chuckling as he watched the cat rubbing her side against the door frame. 

He patted on the empty place on the couch next to him, Cleopatra watching him intently before she stretched lazily and started slowly making her way across the room, her flexible body reaching the table top in one swift jump.

With an intrigued look in her eyes, she carefully approached the bowl, her neck stretching out as she sniffed before dipping her head in the vessel, her tail bumping up nervously a couple of times.

“These are not for you”, Legolas said as he put the bowl away, Cleopatra raising her head, her mouth still open and he laughed, his hands scooping the animal gently from the table, her tiny paws resting on his lap.

“Are you gonna watch the movie with me?”, he asked, the cat kneading her paws gently against his lap, her furry body vibrating as she started to purr and he fixed his gaze on the screen, his finger gently rubbing her behind the ear.

***

“We’re gonna need to secure it for the Winter”, Evelyn said as she passed an orange tree, its branches straining under the weight of sun-coloured fruits. 

Thranduil nodded his head, his hand placed on her side in a protective manner as she stepped onto a slippery stone. “I know, I’ve already bought some net and four meters of cotton mat”, he said as he lowered his head to pass under a hyacinth bean arch, the mixture of green leaves and purple flowers brushing against his silver hair. 

They walked down one of the many vast stone alleys in their orchard, Wolf stepping in front of them as he led the way towards the house, the black Gothic back gate closing behind them, its massive spans guarding the entrance to the garden. 

Despite the nightfall, the entire area was bathed in the warm, golden afterglow of lanterns drawing out babbling fountains and graceful statues of elves, the intoxicating smell of currants, berries, apples and cherries floating in the air above romantic garden benches standing here and there as they were nestled in the cocoons of blooming roses. A little to the side, behind a labyrinth of raspberries, there was a domed arbour, white stone pillars propping up the cupola roof of etched glass. 

Having reached the house’s back door, walnut tree leaves covering the terrace floor, they walked in, the dark, aromatic interior of their home welcoming them with its warmth.

***

Her heartbeat was racing when he covered her body with his and she traced her fingers along the steel-like muscles of his arms, hungrily touched his back, her palms lovingly caressing his chest and neck as he leaned in and sealed his lips with hers. 

They were lying amongst the crumpled sheets, a glittering orb of the full moon shedding its silver afterglow on their heated bodies. 

Having supported his weight on his elbow, he gently stroked her hair, his other hand tracing down her side, his fingers caressing her skin deliberately as he relished the taste of her lips.

Having slowly lifted one of her legs up, his warm hand gently stroking the back of her thigh and resting on her bum, she entangled her fingers in his hair as she pulled him closer, their kiss deepening.

He traced his hand up and down her arm and down her side, his hammering heart embedding into her as she embraced him tightly, her breasts pressing against his chest, his weight crushing her against the mattress. 

She moaned, her fingers feeling his muscles as they rippled under the flawless skin of his back as he buried his face in her neck, his hot, wet mouth sucking on her delicate skin. 

Having tilted her head to the side, she arched her back, her hands gripping on his arms as he made his way down her collar bone, her nipples hardening as he was getting closer to her breastbone. 

“Mmm… yes...”, she moaned quietly, her head tilting back as he unhurriedly left his wet, hot trace in between her breasts, his hands tracing down her sides, his silky hair caressing her skin.

Having nudged his nose over her left breast, he inhaled her unique scent, his tongue tasting her skin and she moaned quietly, her warm hand resting on his head; he could feel the heartbeat hammering in her chest as he traced his mouth over the soft mound.

“Ahhh… Thranduil...”, she whispered hoarsely, her palms caressing his arms, his back, fingers gripping on his shoulder and lacing through his hair as he tenderly kissed the scar that ran horizontally across her entire breast, his tongue feeling every inch of the faded line.

Having placed a tender kiss on her nipple, he took it in his mouth, a sigh of pleasure escaping her as it was followed by a low chuckle when he gently bit her, his mouth sucking harder on the left nub than he would on the right one as it was far less sensitive.

Her warm calf rubbed against his but cheek, her thighs closing tighter around his sides as he kissed and licked his way to her other breast, the heart thudding in his chest at her smell, the touch of her skin against his lips, the sound of her moans as he took her right nipple in his mouth, every muscle in her body flexing under his touch as she arched, her fingers pulling on his hair. 

Shre panted, his forehead gently pressed against her stomach, his hot breath caressing her skin as he slowly started leaving a wet path down her belly, his hands tracing up and down her hourglass waist.

She spread her thighs wider apart, her hot, awaiting core glistening invitingly as he licked and kissed her shaved pubic mound, an intoxicating scent of her arousal filling his nostrils.

She rolled her eyes and arched her back, her fingers letting go and gripping on his hair again as he sunk his lips in her folds, tears of happiness and pleasure gathering under her eyelids as she gave her womanhood to him completely, his skilful ministrations soon bringing forward a stream of sighs and moans as they were alternated with curses. 

“Yes… yes… yes...”, her deep, airy cries filled the room along with his name, her voice hoarse from orgasmic bliss that seemed to go on forever until she finally collapsed on the sheets, her low chuckle turning into a sigh of contentment as he kissed his way up her body. 

As soon as his face appeared above hers, she locked her gaze with his, his ice-blue eyes boring into her soul. Having reached out her hand, she ran her fingers through his hair, her kiss demanding and passionate when she pulled him close and sealed her lips with his, his touch full of hunger as he answered her with no lesser passion and desire. 

Suddenly he rolled them over and sat up, his hands moving up her back and she traced her fingers down his cheek, a delicate, mysterious smile appearing on her face, her hazel eyes pulling him deeper and deeper as she started lowering herself on his manhood, his fingers lacing through her hair as he pulled her closer, their lips sealing in a passionate kiss.

She moaned into his mouth, the walls of her womanhood clutching tighter around him as she slowly rose and fell, her warm thighs brushing against his hips. 

She felt in charge, riding him, taking him as hers with every move of her hips, her heartbeat hammering to the sound of his shaft sliding in and out of her.

Having gently pulled away, he nestled his face in her neck, his hot breath caressing her skin. “My queen...”, he whispered hoarsely, her intoxicating scent making his throat clench with arousal. “My beautiful sorceress...” 

Her head tilting to the side, she wrapped her arms around his neck, their heartbeats becoming one as his chest brushed against her soft breasts and she used her fingers to keep his head in place while he sucked on her delicate skin. 

“Aaahhh...”, she moaned, her fingers taking a fistful of his hair and he sucked harder, his hands wandering down her back, caressing her bum and tracing along her thighs only to slowly move up again, her muscles flexing under his touch. 

Having gently pushed on his chest, she made him lie down, her hands braced on both sides of his head as she leaned in, her mouth invading his in a slow, deep kiss, her body moving back and forth as she rode him on a different angle.

She gently pulled away, her sweet breath caressing his face. “Say my name...”, she murmured, her lips brushing against his.

“Evelyn...”, he whispered and she sealed her lips with his for a short kiss, a muffled moan escaping him at the sensation of her core tightening around him. 

Having pulled away, she sighed with arousal, her breasts brushing against his chest as she started riding him harder. “Louder...”, she ordered, her lips slowly tracing along his jawline.

“Evelyn…”, he murmured and she moaned, her walls closing even tighter around him as she started sucking on his earlobe. He slowly traced his hands down her back, his palms cupping her butt cheeks as he felt his arousal rising, his fingers sinking in her skin. 

“Louder…!”, she panted out, her tongue slipping into his ear and he tilted his head back, his heart hammering against hers. “Evelyn...!”, he cried out, a curse escaping him as she sunk her teeth in the skin of his neck, her hot mouth and tongue easing the pain. 

“Fuck… Look how wet I am...”, she moaned, the room filled with the lapping sound of him moving in and out of her. “I’m so horny… Just for you, baby...”, she murmured, a moan escaping him at her sensual voice right next to his ear, his large palms cupping her butt cheeks and she let him help her move, her fingers entangling in his hair. 

In a split second he rolled them over again, her legs wrapping around him as she sighed with surprise and arousal and they maintained the eye contact, her warm palm tracing up his chest as he thrust into her with slow, deep thrusts.

“Ooooohhh...”, she moaned as she lifted her legs higher to enable him to thrust even deeper, her fingers entangling in his hair and he lowered his head, his hot mouth rhythmically sucking on her neck. 

Her warm hands tracing down his back, she sunk her fingernails in his skin, his muscles rippling under her touch. 

“Aaahhh...”, she moaned, her head tilting back and he gently pulled away, his arm going under her hips and he lifted her up, their bodies moving in unison. 

“Thranduil… Yes… Yes...”, she sighed, his head lowering and he found her right nipple, his mouth closing around the nub as he started to suck on it.

“Fuck…! Jesus motherfucking Christ…!”, she cried, her fingers pulling on his hair as she tensed her Kegel muscles, the sensation of her walls squeezing him tightly making him moan and he grunted with pleasure, his teeth biting gently on her nipple. 

Having pulled away, he slowed down his thrusting even more, his hands finding hers and he pinned them down to the pillow above her head, their fingers intertwined. 

A delicate vertical wrinkle marking his forehead, he gently pressed his forehead against hers, his eyes boring into hers as he looked deep into her soul, the time stopping around them.

Having brushed his lips over hers, he traced his tongue along her upper lip and started to suck on it, her fingers lacing tighter with his as she arched her back, her mouth opening wider as she invited his tongue, her thighs closing tighter around his waist, his muscled body brushing against her delicate skin with every thrust. “I love you...”, he whispered, his heartbeat thudding against hers and she panted, her legs slowly moving down along his thighs, her hot breath caressing his face as she hooked her calves on his legs, every inch of their bodies connected.

“I… love you… more...”, she whispered to his ear, his face nestled in her neck, his heartbeat racing at the touch and smell of her body. “So intoxicating… So mine...”, he whispered as they moved together.

His thrusts picked up speed and she tilted her head back and moaned, her hips meeting his with equal force.

“Oooh, you fuck me so good...”, she panted out, his fingers tightening their hold on her hands and he increased the force of his thrusts, cries of pleasure escaping her with each move.

“Harder…! Ooohhh…! Ooohhh…! Ooohhh…! Thranduil…!”, she cried, her core pulsating around him and he lifted his head, his breath becoming jerky, his eyes closing as his orgasm started to build up. 

“Look… At me...”, she whispered breathlessly and he opened his eyes, her hazel orbs gazing deeply into his and they opened their mouth, their breaths coming in short pants as they sunk deep into each other, the knuckles of their joint hands turning white.


	10. Chapter 10

“So, when are you leaving?”, Killi asked as he slung his jacket over his forearm, a light evening breeze playing with his brown hair. It was still warm, though a subtle smell of ozone already floated in the air, the aura of an approaching storm towering over the area. He smiled, a trace of sadness flashing in his gaze as he fixed his puppy eyes on Tauriel, her ethereal form leaning against the wall, her coper-red hair catching on the coarse concrete. 

It was getting dark and they stood at the back of her house, a quiet rustle of dry leaves as they have already started to fall from a nearby tree forecasting the approaching end of summer.

“Sunday”, she said, their gazes locked on each other as he was trying to read the meaning behind her delicate smile. He shook his head and looked away only to turn his haze at her again immediately. “I’m gonna… I’m gonna miss you”, he whispered and she struggled to hold his gaze, the feeling of uneasiness making her look away. She shrugged, her cheeks absorbing a light shade of pink at the impact of his scrutinizing look. “You’ll be fine”, she said, an invisible wall suddenly raising between them just as a colder gust of wind flew by and lifted the leaves and some dust up from the ground.

He watched her for a while, his eyes studying the perfect profile of her face as it was encircled with a fiery aureole of hair, loose strands carried up by the wind. _“Ayor’ Anosh’ ni’”_ , he whispered and watched her slowly lift her eyes to him. 

Having parted her lips slightly, she looked at him in denial and shock, her voice holding a trace of fear when she spoke. “I don’t know what that means...”

It was his turn to blush as he blinked slowly, a sheepish smile appearing on his face. “I think you do”, he affirmed gently, his eyes as he locked them with hers holding the truth and warmth as did his hand when he placed it on hers, the touch making her quiver.

Having blinked slowly, she lowered her eyes to their joined hands, a sting of pain flashing in his eyes at the feeling of her fingers slipping out of his gentle grip.

“I think you should go”, she said without looking at him. Although calm, her voice held the notion of bitter strictness and it made him slump his shoulders as he slowly took a step back, preparing to leave. “I… Never mind...”, he said, the shuffle of his shoes against the wooden floor of the porch indicating that he moved, the sound of his footsteps following.

It was only when he turned around that she closed her eyes, a burning sensation of tears under her eyelids making her wince in pain. She was surprised to hear her own voice speak before she even had the time to think. “Kili...”

She lifted her eyes to meet his as he immediately turned around to face her, her heart hammering in her chest. In a split second he cut the distance between them and before she knew it, she was already in his arms, the sound of his jacket falling on the floor reaching her ears. A sigh escaped her as their lips met and she could feel his stubble against her delicate skin as he gently traced his tongue over her upper lip, the earth moving under her feet at the sensation. 

Having grabbed on his shoulders for support, she let him deepen the kiss, a distant voice at the back of her head crying in alarm that what they were doing was not right.

_STOP THIS AT ONCE!_ , she heard.

But she couldn’t.

This felt so good and was so remorse-generating at the same time. Some immense power was pushing her in the arms of a man she did not know any more, and yet, she had known him for ages. 

His lips kissing her with skill she had never suspected he possessed, his fingers tracing up and down her arms and sending shivers down her spine by doing so. 

She let out a small moan as he started undoing her light-green frilly blouse, the feeling of slowly becoming wet making her eyes fly open and she pulled away, her breathing laboured.

She had never made love to anyone except Legolas, ever. 

She was this close to actually cheating on him, the thought itself feeling like a cold shower and she broke away, her flaming gaze meeting Kili’s for the last time before she turned around and ran into the house, the door slamming closed behind her.

He remained where he was for a while as he tried to contain himself before picking up his jacket and turning around to leave.

***

Thorin Oakenshield sat alone in the semi-darkness of a naked bulb casting its dim light on the kitchen. It was no doubt that this room hadn’t been cleaned for a while; table tops were covered with bread crumbs, dishes stacked up in the sink, mail, keys and all bunch of other stuff that didn’t belong there scattered all over the place. 

He didn’t care about the mess, the kid would clean up when he’d be back, Thorin didn’t feel like it. There was no point, he wasn’t gonna stay here for much longer anyway. Besides, he had other things occupying his mind at the moment.

He shifted his body to the side as he rested one elbow on the table top, the blade of a short hunting knife flashing in his grip as he was sharpening it with a big whetstone, repetitive, metallic sounds filling the room. 

Having put the whetstone aside, he checked the sharpness of the knife, the blade cutting through a cotton fabric left a few loose threads. He put the fabric aside, took the whetstone back in his hand and resumed his previous activity, the metallic sound filling the kitchen again.

Despite the seeming deliberateness of his moves, he was nervous.

His clenched teeth, the way his foot continued to twitch nervously and the look in his eyes spoke a great deal of how he was internally struggling against some major issue that had been occupying his mind.

The very moment he saw Tauriel with that blond cub three days ago, he knew that the day he had been fearing the most, finally came. As mush as he wanted to believe otherwise, such resemblance could not have been a matter of a coincidence and left no space for any doubts. 

Thorin was a fucking ballerina if this pretty boy wasn’t Oropherion’s kid. 

The same arrogance, the conviction of being someone better filling his eyes, not to mention the physical resemblance that made it almost easy to mistake him for his father from the distance. Although Thranduil was taller from what Thorin could remember and broader in shoulders. 

Yet, the fact was a fact and Thorin knew he could no longer feel safe. 

The cub obviously wasn’t aware of who Thorin was to his father, but now that this little slut fell in with this brat, it was only a matter of time that Oropherion would pick up on him and that was what Thorin could not let happen.

He did pretty much about everything to hole up in a place where nobody from his past would find him. And this referred especially to Oropherion… 

Having put the whetstone away, he took the cotton material and wiped the blade in it, his eyes still staring into nothing as he relived the past events. He clenched his teeth, a mixture of hatred and fear filling his eyes. 

He once again heard the metallic sound of a gun’s trigger being released, he could feel the cold steel of a Baretta APX pressed against his temple as the ice-cold eyes bored into him with pitiless determination to kill. Only by a miracle did he manage to escape, but he knew that this stray vulture could find him anywhere if he only wanted to. They were not even, not before one of them dies. He knew that Thranduil Oropherion was not one to forgive and the moment he’d get wind of him again, he’d do anything to track him down, and Thorin knew better than to hope for another miracle this time. 

It was time to pull up stakes; the sooner he leaves the better. 

***

“Stop wriggling, you think the whole bed is yours, don’t you?”, Legolas muttered, Cleopatra stretching in her sleep, all of her four paws driving into his back. She sneezed in her dream, her furry side rising as she slowly flexed her paws, the fabric of his white T-shirt catching gently on her claw.

Having shaken his head, he yawned and raised his head, his eyes resting on the fluorescent clock as it was standing on the bedside table next to the book _The Three_ by Sarah Lotz. It was 02:53 am, seven minutes to the witching hour according to some mythologies. 

A sudden sound of vibration made him flinch, a green diode as it was pulsating in the upper left corner of his phone catching his eye before he lifted himself on his elbow, the call notification saying _Tauriel_. 

Having sighed, he decided to ignore the call and he was now lying in the darkness, waiting for the buzzing to cease. 

It finally did.

In the silence that suddenly occurred, he could hear the murmur of water in the garden pond. Having closed his eyes, he exhaled through his nose, an image of the glistening water appearing under his eyelids. The sparkling surface reflected the light of the moon, a gentle breath of wind making it wrinkle as a shade of coper-red started slowly pouring in, the fiery strands intermingling with the silver like a flaming thread. 

Or like hair.

He flinched when the buzzing resounded again, the vibrating phone trembling frantically and moving on the night table top, the sound changing when the phone eventually shifted to the side, its border buzzing against the back of the book. 

Cleopatra let out a squeal of annoyance as she clasped her forepaws to her head, the action resembling that of making a facepalm. 

Having slowly lifted himself on one elbow, Legolas reached out and took the phone in his hand.

“What is it…”, he muttered as he took the call. 

There was silence at the other end of the line for a moment before some weird snorting could be heard. Having frowned with irritation, he exhaled through his nose and clenched his teeth, then suddenly a voice resounded in his ear. It sounded like Tauriel, but as if she was sick or…

“Legolaaash… Legolash, m’love”, she mumbled and he frowned. “Are you drunk?”

She chuckled in reply, the sound followed with a wet _pffff_ that sounded as though she stuck her tongue out and exhaled. “I ‘pened m’dad’s liqueur”, she said, more chuckling following. “Der’s a whole bottle… ooops”, more chuckling, “Der _wazssh_ a whole bottle in da p’ntry”, she mumbled, Legolas breathing out as he fixed his gaze on the darkness filling the room, a muffled chuckle as it came from the other end of the line still filling his ear. 

“You drank enough, go to bed”, he said calmly, his words enticing more chuckling, now lined with an undertone. “Alone…?”, she asked, Legolas’ chest raising slowly as he clenched his teeth. There was a sniff and an airy sound in his ear as though she exhaled. “I need a hug… commere ’n’ug me...”, she whinged, her words causing a sting of pain and anger to flicker through his chest and he frowned, his voice harsher when he spoke. ”It’s three in the morning in here. Go to sleep, I’m hanging up”, he said, a protest coming from the earphone making him halt.

“Whyte…! Whyte…”, came a mumbled demand. For a moment there was silence as he waited with his phone put to his ear, his gaze staring into darkness as it mingled with the moonlight coming through an open window. 

Then, Tauriel’s voice filled his ear again and though distorted by alcohol, there was no chuckle. “I moustache you a queshtion...”, she snuffled out and he blinked slowly, a breath of weariness leaving his chest. “What is it”, he asked reluctantly. 

“Legolaaash...”, she mumbled and for a moment he thought she would start chuckling, his impatience raising again. She didn’t start laughing this time though; instead, there was a wet sniff and he frowned, evident sounds of her crying filling his ear. He clenched his jaws, his chest rising as he slowly inhaled through his nose, her words as she spoke them in the next second hitting him hard for the first time during this conversation. 

“D’u f’give me?”, she asked, Legolas halting in mid-exhalation and he frowned. “Go to sleep. We’ll talk about this another time”, he replied in a decisive voice, his reaction meeting a fierce protest. “No…! Whyte…! Shh’fuck...”, she mumbled out, her words swallowed by a sudden rustle that sounded as though she had dropped the phone, Legolas closing his eyes as he exhaled through his nose, his nostrils flaring. There was another rustling sound followed by the silence before she repeated the question, her drunken voice traced with a note of impatience. 

“ _D’u._ _F’give me._ ”

It was as though he contemplated the reply as he stayed silent, his unseeing gaze sliding over the window area before he spoke, his words as they were followed by a repetitive signal of the call being disconnected, leaving her perplexed.

“No.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Ayor’ Anosh’ ni_ \- _I love you_ in Navajo


	11. Chapter 11

It was still dark when Evelyn opened her eyes, a moment passing before she realized she was not in Cairo any more, but in her own bed. 

She inhaled deeply, the feeling of Thranduil’s solid chest against her back making her purr as she let out a protracted yawn and stretched, his arm as it was wrapped around her pulling her close as he grunted in his sleep. 

For a good while she simply lay still while savouring the sensation of his measured heartbeat embedding into her back, his calm breath gently caressing her cheek. He smelled like home, his masculine scent as it was mixed with a subtle memory of his cologne wrapping her in a warm cocoon.

She closed her eyes, her warm hand finding his as it was resting on the sheets next to her forearm and he opened his palm in his sleep, his fingers lacing through hers. 

Having pulled her closer, he nestled his face in her neck, her sweet scent making him let out a deep sigh of contentment as she flexed herself into him, her soft curves fitting his masculine body perfectly. She yawned again, her thoughts floating leisurely as she started to plan her day, a measured thump-thump as it matched her own caressing her back.

All the food, she had prepared it yesterday; marinated chicken bits were waiting in the fridge, fresh vegetables and fruits only needed to be washed and could be served whole or in a salad, she thought as she subtly traced her fingers up and down his forearm, his golden hairs tickling her fingertips. 

Ah, and Thranduil had stopped at Nana’s on his way back home yesterday and brought two crunchy loafs of bread, it would taste delicious with some garlic olive, salt and basil. 

The upper kitchen drawer where she stored the spices; it wouldn’t close again, something must have got stuck, gotta take care of it. Last time it was the sweet paprika, her and Legolas wrestling with the stubborn piece of furniture to take it out.

She snorted at the memory, the sudden sound making Thranduil gently squeeze her hand, a quiet, lingering growl resonating in his chest. She smiled as she brushed her thumb against the back of his palm, her lips placing a soft kiss on his skin as she lifted his hand to her face. Having put their joined hands to her chest, she inhaled, the afterglow of night as it slowly turned into day casting its pale light on their wedding bands. 

For a longer while she simply lay still while letting her thoughts flow freely, the quiet ticking of the clock along with the warmth of Thranduil’s body as it was wrapped around her slowly lulling her back to sleep.

Oh, someone’s gotta have an eye on Wolf when the little ones arrive… 

She yawned, her eyelids getting heavier. 

Yeah, and so she should keep an eye on Legolas… She knew her son well enough to expect a major breakdown of his oddly good mood to finally strike. It looked almost as though…

Her breath became deep and measured. She was asleep.

***

Legolas frowned with distaste at the sight of his own pale face, his reddened eyes, as they were circled with shadows, not making him feel optimistic; neither did the sensation of an empty stomach accompanied with a complete loss of appetite and an increased heart rate, both recognizable as the signs of stress and the lack of sleep. 

He lowered his gaze, his hand reaching out for an electric toothbrush as it was standing on a marble slab. Having applied some toothpaste, he turned the toothbrush on, a quiet buzzing resounding as he fixed his grumpy gaze in the mirror, a few toothpaste drops splashing into a grey marble sink as he slowly brushed his teeth. 

Suddenly, there was a quiet mew, the feeling of fur around his ankle making him look down to see Cleopatra gazing up at him as she had apparently got up from the bed and came to the bathroom. She was now looking at him, hope filling her eyes and he allowed himself a faint smile. “Mhmm...”, he muttered through the quiet buzzing as he left the bathroom, the cat trotting happily before him. Having opened the door with his left hand, his right still occupied with the toothbrush, he kept it opened just enough for the animal to leave, then closed it right after her tail disappeared on the other side. She was now probably on her way down the corridor and downstairs to nibble on her dry snacks before breakfast. 

He turned around and made his way back to the bathroom, his eyes taking a glance at a puzzles-shaped, metal wall clock showing six o’clock sharp and he rolled his eyes. Now that he got up, he would have rather gone back to sleep. 

***

Thranduil inhaled deeply, his arm pulling her closer as he stirred in his sleep, a slight frown appearing on his forehead. 

He snuggled his face deeper into her hair and she mumbled unintelligibly, her cheek rubbing against his temple as she stirred in his arms. 

“Eve...”, he muttered, his sleepy voice disappearing in her hair and she gently squeezed his hand, another unintelligible mumble escaping her as she rubbed her calf against his. 

“Just… comm’ere...”, he whispered in his sleep, his arm pulling her close. 

The fingers of his right hand as it was stretched on the sheets above her head curled gently into a fist and stretched again as he inhaled deeply, his breath feeling ticklish on her neck. “Babe...”, she mumbled half-asleep, the weight of his body against hers feeling like a harbinger of a good day. 

He pulled her close as he buried his face in her neck, goosebumps appearing on her skin as he placed a kiss in her hair. She could feel his heartbeat thudding in his chest and embedding into her back. 

“Mmmm… morning...”, he whispered, his voice hoarse. 

“Morning babe…”, she replied barely awake as she stretched, his fingers tightening around hers as he yawned and pulled her so close that she almost lost her breath. 

She exhaled, his hold gradually loosening up as he stretched and grunted in her neck, his heartbeat accelerating as she rubbed herself against him, an approving purr escaping him as she did so. 

He started kissing her neck, his fingers lacing through hers repeatedly and it wasn’t long before she could feel a warm hardness pressing against the back of her thigh, the sensation sending a spark of desire through her veins. 

She purred, her left hand reaching behind and she gently laced her fingers through his hair, his warm hand slowly wandering up her belly to eventually cup her breast. He started playing with her nipple, his lips leaving an unhurried trace down her temple to finally reach her ear, his hot tongue tracing the auricle before slipping inside. She let out a small moan, her thighs opening as she gently arched her back, his hand travelling down her side to lift her leg and rest it on his hip. 

Having nudged the tip oh his manhood at her entrance, he repositioned himself, his hand squeezing her thigh as he started entering her, his mouth sucking on her earlobe. 

“Thranduil...”, she moaned, her fingers pulling on his hair as she opened her mouth, her breath laboured. 

Having filled her completely, he nestled his face in her neck, his hot mouth sucking slowly on her skin as he started to move inside her. She was moving with him, her fingers pulling on his hair with each thrust. “Mmmm… So good...”, she whispered as she tilted her head back, his mouth leaving a wet trace down her throat as he started to thrust deeper into her. He squeezed her thigh, his fingers sure to leave red marks as he kept it in place, his hot mouth sucking on the crook of her neck. 

“Ahhngh...”, she moaned, the vibration of her voice passing to his lips and he slowly rolled her to her belly, his weight pinning her down to the mattress.

Having risen to his knees, he lifted her hips high up so that her bum was up, the rest of her body lying flat on the bed, her cheek rubbing gently against the sheets as he thrust deep into her. 

She lifted herself up on her elbows and moaned, the tip of his massive manhood reaching her cervix with each thrust, his warm hands keeping her still.

“Aaagh… Oh God, don’t stop...”, she panted out, the feeling of his palm as he slowly traced it up her back to grab on her hair making her shiver. Without increasing his tempo, he gently pushed on her neck to pin her down again. She frowned and gasped, her butt slowly rising as she stuck it up even more and he gently stroked her back, his member hitting her sweet spot with each thrust. 

He grunted as he fucked her slowly, his fingers taking a fistful of her hair and he gently pulled on it, her lips shaping an O as she let him tilt her head back a little. Having pressed herself harder against him, she grabbed the sheets, the silk creasing in her fingers as she closed her eyes shut, deep moans escaping her with every thrust. 

Having tilted his head back, he kept moving slow while relishing the sensation of her warm, fleshy buns rubbing against his thighs. He let go of her hair, his hands tracing up and down her sides, gripping on her thighs, his eyes glowing as he slowly lowered them to their connected bodies and he hissed, a suppressed curse escaping him.

“Evelyn… What are you doing to me...”, he whispered and she slowly turned her head to look back, her eyes still puffy from sleeping.

He caught her gaze, ice-blue boring into honey-brown as their sighs, moans and the sounds of their unhurried fucking filled the air. 

Having slowly leaned in, his long hair embracing her like a curtain, he braced his weight on one arm as he hovered over her, his other hand gently wrapped around her belly, keeping her still against his hips. 

Having reached behind, she gently cupped the back of his head, her fingers pulling him down for a tender, sensual kiss. He moaned into her mouth as she pulled on his hair, her lips sucking, her teeth biting playfully; leisurely, morning passion slowly starting to seize them both. 

She moaned into the kiss as he pressed her harder against him, his thrusts reaching deeper than before. Having gently bit down on his bottom lip, she started sucking on it, a quiet groan escaping him as he deepened the kiss, his mouth taking control. She purred as the feeling of him fucking her while devouring her mouth started to take over her senses, and he grunted, his teeth grating gently against her bottom lip. She moaned into his mouth as he pulled her even closer, their naked bodies moving in unison. 

“My queen...”, he murmured as he pulled away, his lips brushing against hers. She licked his pink, swollen curves, a hiss escaping him when she clenched her Kegel muscle and he was now rubbing himself against her tight sheath. “Yes, my king…?”, she purred and he buried his face in her neck, his arm keeping her still as he fucked her slowly, deep thrusts making her cry out in pleasure each time he slammed in.

Having tilted her head back, she closed her eyes, her loud moans filling the room as he sunk his teeth in her shoulder, the force of his thrusts making her nipples brush against the sheets. 

“Aaaangh… Thranduil, I’m so close… I’m almost there...”, she panted out, a trace of an approaching ecstasy audible in her voice. 

The moment the world around her erupted, she pulled hard on the silky sheets, her core clenching rhythmically around him, loud moans of pleasure escaping her over and over again. 

Having pulled away, he straightened himself up and gripped on her hips with both his hands as he kept boring into her while keeping his pace steady. 

“Fucking Christ…”, he hissed, his voice swallowed by her low moans of pleasure. 

She shut her eyes, her moans soon turning into cries as her dissipating orgasm started building up again, Thranduil grunting as he repeatedly thrust into her tight womanhood.

“Mmmm… Mhhm… Mhhmmm...”, he grunted, her clenching core taking him to the limits of what was bearable.

He threw his head back, stars appearing before his closed eyes as he kept her hips in place while boring into her, the force of his thrusts increasing. He slammed in for the last time, his loins becoming still as he finally came, his hot seed getting buried deep inside her in repeated spurts, his body shuddering with pleasure. 

Having collapsed on the bed, their panting mixed with laughter, he hovered over her, his face buried in her neck. “You’ll be the end of me, woman...”, he grunted as he kissed her neck, a sigh of pleasure escaping her as it was followed by a chuckle. 

Having repositioned so that she was facing him, she cupped his cheek with one hand, the other one pushing on his chest and they lay on their sides, Thranduil pulling the sheets over the both of them.

She entangled her legs with his, her fingers lacing through his hair as she pulled him into a deep, possessive and immensely tender kiss that left him breathless as he pulled her close to his chest, their heartbeats becoming one. 

“Just claiming what is mine...”, she whispered as she gently pulled away, a warm light in her eyes matching that in her smile as they lay still, their loving gazes fixed on each other. 

***

“Uncle Thranduiiiil!!!”

A baby squeal made him turn around as he was talking to Elrond, a wide smile appearing on his face at the sight of a laughing poppet in a flower-patterned dress hurtling in his direction, her feet it thong sandals stamping though the flowers. Having spread his arms, he bent over, the tiny body falling straight into his hands and she laughed hysterically, Thranduil lifting her high up as if she weighed nothing. “Got ya, you little monster!”, he called as he spun her around, her face emanating pure happiness as she laughed and squealed, Thranduil’s chest moving up and down with laughter as he watched her guffawing. 

“I’m gonna take this inside”, Elrond laughed as he lifted the beer crate from the ground and disappeared in the door leading towards the house, a medium-height blond shaking her head as she unhurriedly passed the stone fountain, a material travel bag slung over her shoulder, both her hands occupied with a round cake platter with a glass dome on top. “You may say goodbye to your freedom for the rest of the day - you know that, don’t you, brother?”

Still laughing, Thranduil gently hugged his cackling niece before lowering her onto his hip, her long, dark blond strands catching on his white shirt as she grabbed on his shoulder with her tiny fingers. 

“It’s a sweet imprisonment, though”, he chuckled, before leaning in to give a woman a short, but warm hug. “Good to see you, Megan. How are you?”, he asked and she nodded her head, a shy smile appearing on her suddenly flushed face. “Good, gotta be with this little gnome in the house”, she replied, Anna lifting her index finger so that Thranduil could see it, her face becoming serious as she frowned. “I got a booboo”, she said with emotion, Megan rolling her eyes as she turned around in search of somebody, Anna fixing her gaze on the Donald Duck plaster as it was wrapped around her finger at the nail height. 

Thranduil frowned as he quickly inspected the dressing. “How did it happen?”, he asked, Anna shifting her gaze to the ground as she pointed her Donald Duck finger accusingly at Keira, the eight-year-old frowning with surprise as she approached them. 

“It’s her fault!”

“No, it isn’t!”, the older girl retorted as she leaned her side against Thranduil who put his hand on her head and gently stroked her black hair. 

“Yes, it is!”, Anna insisted, her puffy cheeks starting to show some pink. “You caught my finger with the door!”

Keira shook her head as she made a _give-me-patience_ face. “’Cause you stuck it there! How was I supposed to know, I was on the other side!”, she defended herself as she lifted her head up, her eyes finding Thranduil’s in search of his support. 

Having turned his head to face Anna, he looked her in the eyes; serious, brown orbs staring back at him. He lifted one of his eyebrows up, Anna frowning as she lowered her gaze, her fingers starting to fumble with the fabric of his shirt.

“You should never put your fingers in the door, ‘cause they may get caught in when someone opens it suddenly”, he said in a sedate voice, Anna keeping her miffed appearance as she looked away. She shifted her head, her gaze falling on her plaster. 

“I’m sorry you’ve got hurt, but it was not Keira’s fault and you’re acting as if she did it on purpose”, he said and she lifted her gaze up, her mouth opening in a resentful manner. “’Cause she did! She is mean...”, she exclaimed, Keira looking indignant with the hurtful remark, her bottom lip trembling slightly. 

It was time to call the little lady to order.

“Look at me”, Thranduil said in a lower voice as he faced her, the warning notes flashing in his eyes making her focus solely on him, her big, sparkling orbs gazing attentively into his. 

“Did you see Keira standing on the other side of the door?”, he asked, Anna frowning as she blinked while contemplating his words before reluctantly shifting her gaze to her sister. It took a while before she lowered her gaze again, the corners of her mouth trembling in a smile as she tried to cover it up.

“ _Exactly_ ”, Thranduil muttered as he sent Megan a half-amused glance, the look on the woman’s face unreadable though as she bored her eyes into him. 

Anna sent another look at Keira, whose face also brightened up with a smile, the girls’ gazes locked with each other in a silent conciliation.

“Here, off you go; aunt Evelyn’s in the kitchen”, Thranduil said as he lowered his younger niece to the ground, the girls laughing as they started off towards the house while arguing who was gonna get there first.

Having straightened himself up, he turned around to face Megan, his long blond hair sparkling in the sunlight as he shook it back. “Need a hand?”, he asked and reached out, her eyes still boring into him before she blinked, her gaze changing as though she suddenly came back to reality. “What…?” 

Thranduil gestured to her travelling bag and the cake she was holding.

“Oh… Yes, please. I’m so foggy...”, she laughed visibly embarrassed as she handed him the bag. 

He took it swiftly from her and moved aside, his smile polite, but tepid as he gestured for her to walk before him.


	12. Chapter 12

“Did you see the barbie Elrond came with? Where did he get her from, she doesn’t seem right for him at all...”, Megan said in a hushed voice as she took three mint candy rods from the bag, the sweet aroma of freshness filling the air.

Her, Evelyn, Keira and Anna were in the kitchen, each one of them busy with something else.

“She can be whoever she wants in my house”, Evelyn whispered back as she picked a raspberry and a few black berries from the counter and put them into a bowl which was already half full of fruits, all of them mixed in forming a rainbow of colours, Keira lifting her absent-minded gaze from the cutting board as she was chopping the banana with a small kitchen knife, her forehead marked with a frown that one always makes while performing of a very important task. 

“My only concern are her heels. She’s gonna take a pratfall as soon as she hits the garden”, she muttered, Megan muffling the outburst of laughter as the clicking of high heels resounded in the hall.

“I showed Linda around. Now we can hope she won’t get lost”, a tall, slender woman with a shock of red curls informed as she marched into the kitchen, an elegant, middle-aged lady following her with a diffident face.

Evelyn turned around, her amused gaze meeting that of the red-head as she was wearing a moss-green top and earthy cords, one of her long, freckled forearms wrapped in a number of brassy bracelets jingling with every move of her hand. “I’m surprised you didn’t get lost like you usually do, Georgia”, she said as she moved quickly enough to playfully spank the butt of the woman passing by, the latter sneering as she quickened her pace to avoid the contact. 

“Auntie Georgia is being mistreated, you are my witnesses”, she said with fake resentment in her voice as she stopped next to Anna and Keira, both girls laughing as they watched the scene. 

“Poor auntie Georgia...”, Megan muttered, Georgia shooting her with a raspberry, the fruit landing on the cutting board amongst the candies. 

“Heeey, you monkey!”, Megan outraged, a decent piece of a candy shooting up and hitting the bread bin as Georgia moved aside from its flight path, Keira and Anna laughing cheerfully as they started to throw berries and pieces of cheese at each other.

A regular battle started, Evelyn ducking while trying to protect the pudding pot from being showered with food. “Stop this right now!”, she laughed, her hand shooting up with a lightning speed and she caught a raspberry on the fly, her other hand crossing the flight path of the candy.

“Get yourself together, hags”, she snarled through laughter, playful threats and retorts resounding as she shook her head while turning around to face Linda. “Sorry about that, this is not what we’re normally like”, she said, her warm gaze full of amusement as she watched her guest’s pale face. 

“That’s ‘cause normally we’re worse than this”, Georgia snorted, another candy connecting her head and she looked around in search of a proper missile to retaliate, Evelyn’s hiss and her raised hand nipping the new battle in the bud. “Jesus, what’s gotten into you today”, she muttered as she resumed the action she was occupied with, namely stirring a chocolate pudding as it was boiling in one of the pots standing on the gas stove. She was barefoot, one of her fists put on her curvy hip as it was wrapped in super skinny black jeans and a tucked-in tight, black turtle-neck blouse. 

She slowly turned her head once more to Linda. “By God, why are you still standing? Take a seat please”, she said with a smile, the blonde’s cheeks blushing slightly under the curious gaze of the Anna and Keira, their sparkling eyes scanning her from head to toe as they turned their heads too. 

“Would you like something to drink?”, Evelyn asked, one of the bar stools grating against the floor as Linda took it out and took a seat, the sequins of her pink, leather purse sparkling when she put it on the counter top. She was wearing an ivory-beige two-piece dress suit and golden pumps, her long blonde hair put in a sophisticated top-knot bun, heavy, willow-green earrings jingling with every move of her head. There was a moment of hesitation in her eyes before she shook her head, her voice stiff. “No, thank you. Maybe later...” she said and again had the impression of those hazel eyes looking straight into her soul, slight amusement in their depths as Evelyn smiled even wider and nodded her head before turning back around to the gas stove.

Next to her, Megan kept chopping the mint sugar candy rods, her pale hands operating the knife cradle smoothly, caramels making a crunching sound as they were being crushed against the wooden board. 

Having taken the board in her hand, she put the chopped candies in a large glass bowl, the dish being already almost full of white and celadon sweetness.

“What do you think? Will this do?”, she asked, Evelyn taking a glance at the contents of the bowl. “Yup”, she said as she turned the burner off and reached out for a large stoneware bowl, the dish letting out a quiet knock as she placed it on the counter. “Here, pour some in”, she said, Megan putting a thin layer of crushed mint candies in the bowl while Evelyn took the pot in her hands, their heads almost touching each other as they poured the pudding alternatively with the sweets, each next layer covering the previous one. 

Linda stirred on her stool, her curious eyes watching the two women as they laughed while cooperating, cheerful exclamations like: _Wait!_ or _Okay, okay!_ or _Watch where you’re pouring, you mad woman!_ resounding every now and then, Anna and Keira laughing like crazy.

Having scrubbed the rest of the pudding out, Evelyn put the pot back on the stove, Megan still chuckling as she walked over to the sink, rinsed the bowl and placed it on the dish dryer.

“Now, who wants to scrape out the pudding from the pot?!”, Evelyn called, an outburst of me! me! resounding as Anna and Keira reached her in less then a second, and she laughed as she stood there with two spoons already in her hands. 

“Linda, you like Absinthe?” she asked, the blonde blinking as though she had just woken up to see her open a black antiquated three-wing alcohol cabinet. “Oooh, you mean the...”, she trailed off as she smiled nervously, Evelyn letting out a loud chuckle as she bent over, reached to the right wing and retrieved a medium size bottle filled with light—green liquid, then took four small glasses on high stems from the counter shelf. Having straightened herself up, she threw her hair aside, a quiet knock resounding when the door of the cabinet closed. “Don’t be afraid, it’s not _the green fairy_ ”, she said with a warm smile, Linda smiling nervously when her laughing eyes pierced her once again. 

“Those times are already behind us!”, Georgia laughed as she turned around and pulled a face at her, Linda smiling hesitantly as she watched Evelyn swiftly open the bottle. 

Her moves were graceful as she measured out the same amount of liqueur and water in each glass, covered them with silver open-work casting spoons, Linda frowning as she watched a sugar lump being placed in the centre of each spoon and poured on with a little bit of liqueur, the alcohol sinking in the crystallized surface. 

“There’s only a minimum amount of wormwood necessary, anise, sage, fennel, parsley and I used green coffee beans for the colour”, Evelyn muttered, her voice focused as she withdrew matches from one of the drawers. “The sugar will sweeten it a bit, Absinthe in itself is terribly bitter.” 

There was a hiss when she lit a match, the flame trembling as it was reflected in the eyes of the women gathered around, in the sublime silence that took over, the only sound being that of the spoons scraping against the pottery. 

“Stand back”, Evelyn said as she quickly looked around, Megan gently pulling the girls farther away from the counter. 

Linda gasped as she watched the fire being set to all four sugar lumps, one by one, the blue flames shooting up with a significant whoosh. 

“Woo! The power of fire!”, Georgia called out cheerfully, Linda taking note of Keira and Anna’s faces, a mixture of awe and insight drawn upon their features at being able to witness something off-limits. 

For a moment there was silence as Evelyn blew out the match, the aroma of smoke and caramel filling the kitchen. 

“Thranduil would get furious if he saw me do this”, she giggled mischievously as she took the spoons one by one and put the fire out in the sink. “Not the safest way to melt sugar, but it just takes _so long_ when you use cold water instead...”, she gasped as she gave one glass to Georgia and walked over to Megan and Linda to hand theirs to them, the latter taking the glass and sniffing the alcohol, a herbal aroma of anise, sage and caramel filling her nostrils as she took a small sip. 

“This is actually good”, she said as she smacked her lips, then took another sip, her features relaxing visibly. 

“We always drink it during our covens”, Georgia chuckled as she reached out her hand to clink her glass with Evelyn’s, Linda frowning. “Covens?”, she asked, curiosity in her voice. 

There was a rustle when Georgia and Megan slowly resumed their work, one of them taking the bread from the bread bin, the other one opening the fridge. 

“Girls nights in”, Evelyn corrected as she sent her a smile, Linda watching her bend over to retrieve a fresh apron from one of the drawers. 

Having taken another wooden board and a bowl full of vegetables, she approached the table, Linda’s eyes widening as she placed the items before her, a big kitchen knife with a green handle landing on top of the board. 

“Here, chop the veggies; we’re gonna make a salad”, she said as she smiled and gave her a wink, Linda not being able to resist the impression that the gesture had a way deeper meaning. 

Having walked over to the counter, Evelyn opened the cupboard and retrieved the olive oil, a quiet ticking resounding as she put the flame under the frying pan. She opened the fridge, took out the meat and placed it on the counter, a double click resounding as she opened the window and leaned out. 

“Get your asses in here, will you boys! The food’s not gonna prepare itself!”, she yelled, a chorus of masculine voices resounding in reply. 

“ _Amen_ ”, Georgia said as she turned around and winked at Keira and Anna, the sound of numerous footsteps echoing in the hallway. 

*** 

Paulline rolled to her side as she was lying on the unmade bed, the aroma of fresh morning coffee filling the room. She was already dressed, her grey hoodie zipped up to the middle revealing a light pink T-hirt. 

Having pressed the power button on the laptop’s keyboard as it was lying on the bed next to her, she watched the screen slowly light itself up, the operating system starting murmuring in the background. There was a quiet movement behind her and she smiled as her boyfriend’s warm hand rested on her arm, his lips brushing against her neck. 

“Mmm… Don’t tell me you’re going to work today. It’s Saturday...”, he murmured and she automatically tilted her head to the side as she watched the screen. Desktop appeared on the screen and she used a touchpad to push the cursor against the Outlook icon, a double-click triggering a blue loading circle to appear. “I just need to check my mailbox and I’m done”, she said, Josh closing his eyes at the touch of her fingers as she ran them through his short black hair. 

“What do you wanna do today? Are we going bike riding?”, she asked, her eyes fixed on the screen as she quickly typed in the password to her service mailbox. 

There was another movement behind her as he turned around to reach out for his coffee as it was standing on the bedside table. “I don’t know, what do you like? We can do bikes; I’m okay with anything as long as we do it together”, he murmured, his lips closing on the steaming cup as he made a funny face in the expectation of her reaction to his words. 

Indeed, she rolled her eyes and snorted as she shook her head. “Sweet talker...”, she muttered, her eyes scanning the incoming e-mail and she frowned, a sigh of dissatisfaction escaping her. 

He leaned in and nestled his face in her hair. “I’m only madly in love with you”, he said, his lips placing a quick, tender kiss in her hair and she let out a low _mhmmm_ as she reached out her hand to pick a mobile phone from the table. Having gently pulled away, she sat up, lit the screen and entered the contacts page, then scrolled down the list, Josh stretching himself to place the cup on the table. 

Having gently hugged her from the back, he rested his chin on her shoulder as he looked past her shoulder, his eyes scanning the screen as she scrolled past the column of names to finally stop at _El Jefe_. 

“That name’s never gonna stop reminding me of a drug lord”, he snorted, Paulline making a _da fuck_ face as she selected the contact and tapped on the text message icon, the history of prior conversations unfolding. The messages were brief and concise, short question – equally short reply, no emoticons attached. 

“Or better, a slave-slayer...” he muttered, the movement of his chin reflected on her shoulder and she shook her head while quickly typing in the message with both her thumbs, the built-in dictionary completing the words for her. 

_No incoming e-mails from Sweden, boss. Sorry._

“Meh… He’s okay. Not particularly cordial and you gotta work your ass off to live up to his standards, but he pays well and lets you live as long as you do your job”, she explained as she pressed send and turned the screen off, one of her arms raising and she rested her palm on the back of his head. 

He hugged her from behind, his hands wandering over her belly, his lips inches away from her ear. “I still don’t like him for making you work on Saturday”, he said, his fingers finding their way to the zipper of her hoodie and he started to undo it, Paulline laughing as she put the laptop away on the pillow, a nice shiver rippling down her body. 

“It was just one text, I wouldn’t exactly call it working...”, she murmured as she wriggled out of the hoodie, turned around to face him and rose to her knees, his hands grabbing her bum and pulled her in so that she straddled him, her arms wrapped around his neck. 

“Now you’re all mine and that’s what matters”, he said before crashing his lips with hers, a stifled moan escaping her as she deepened the kiss, her laughter audible as he pulled her with him onto the sheets. 

*** 

“Did you test-drive it?”, Sean asked as he watched Anna ride around on her bike, her face radiating with happiness as she pedalled in her summer dress and sandals. 

“What kind of an uncle would I be if I didn’t?”, Thranduil said as he put the beer bottle to his lips, Evelyn smiling as she stood by his side, his arm put around her, her palm placed firmly on his chest. 

They were outside, the music coming from the loudspeakers as they were hung between the trees mixing with the voices of the people chatting in small groups, Cleopatra lazily absorbing her surrounding as she was lying on the grass in her huge outdoor cat enclosure. Wolf was nowhere within the range of sight. 

“I wish I was there to witness it”, Sean snorted as he shook his head, his smile widening at the sight of Keira chasing her sister on her blue bike. 

He was a slender, extensively tattooed man with a crew cat and ear stretching plugs. 

“Just imagine Crazy Frog with long blond hair as it whooshes through the garden on a pink bike”, Evelyn suggested and they burst out laughing, Thranduil pulling her closer as he placed a kiss on the crown of her hair. 

There was a movement behind them, a well-built man in his 40’s with a thick grey plait and a beard stopping next to Thranduil. 

“I can only hope that the neighbours were recording”, he said, Thranduil nodding his head as he clinked his bottle with the newcomer’s, two more clinks resounding as Evelyn and Sean did the same. 

“Believe me Jonathan, if anyone, Mrs Donnelly was for sure...”, she muttered, Sean shaking his head. “Who?”, he asked, Evelyn giggling as an angry growl rippled through Thranduil’s chest. 

“Our old, nosy neighbour”, she explained as she indicated the direction with her hand holding the beer, Sean turning his head to see a red roof looming in between the trees. 

“Hey… Wait, what are you doing?!”, she called as he started to make his way in that direction while pretending to adjust the knot in his tie. 

“Nut...” she laughed as she took a sip of her beer, Jonathan still watching the girls before turning to Thranduil, his voice lower when he spoke. “You are the closest thing to a father that these two have ever known though, you know that, don’t you, Thrand”, he said, Thranduil inhaling slowly as he contemplated his words. 

“It’s so with Anna, not really with Keira”, he said, Evelyn nodding her head as she put the bottle to her mouth, her now serious gaze following the girls as well. “Keira was five when Elliot drowned, Anna was one. I do not think she can even remember him”, she said, a confirming murmur rippling through Thranduil’s chest as he moved aside, a slim woman with a stiff, brown mullet passing through to get to the table. 

“OH MY GOD, let me tell you this: I won’t be able to fit in the door after tonight. Where the hell did you take this bread from??”, she called as she stuffed a garlic butter and olives canape into her mouth, her eyes closing with delight. 

“We buy it from a lady who uses a traditional bread baking furnace”, Evelyn said as she smiled while nodding to Jonathan. 

“Indeed?”, he asked. “And it’s just a matter of the furnace? What about the recipe she’s using?”, he inquired, his gaze resting on the canape plate. 

“I don’t know, but I can take you to her so you could ask her yourself”, she replied, Jonathan nodding his head. “I’m gonna try some now, I suddenly got hungry”, he said, Evelyn chuckling as he left to approach the table. 

She shivered as she felt Thranduil’s hot lips next to her ear. 

“The only thing _I’m_ hungry for is your wet pussy”, he whispered seductively, his breath caressing her ear. “See? I’m already hard for you...”, he murmured as he almost imperceptibly turned around and she stifled a moan at the sensation of his hardness pressing against her hip. 

She slowly lifted her head, her lips brushing against his, as she traced her fingers over his hammering heart. “I would ride you right here on this table if I could” she murmured, his heart rate significantly increasing as he pulled her painfully close. 

Somebody passed by, their arm brushing against his. 

“I _will_ get you at some point today, when you will least expect it”, he murmured, a shiver rippling down her spine at the sensation of his tongue as he discreetly traced it over her lower lip, his voice dangerously low as he spoke. “If you play with fire, you must be able to handle the consequences...” 


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The National Maritime College of Ireland in Ringaskiddy does exist, although you obviously can't study engineering and architecture there, so this is something I made up for the purpose of this story. There are, however, military academies and universities across the world where you can obtain a military rank and a professional title, both at more or less the same time.

“Are you sure he’s not gonna bite me?”, Linda asked as she lifted her hand up, Wolf’s peaceful gaze following the movement of her arm. 

They were all sitting in a Gothic garden gazebo, _Nothing Else Matters_ by Metallica, as it was humming in the background, filling the entire place with its powerful, heavy metal sound, the smell of grilled Shawarma floating subtly in the air. 

Evelyn took a quick glance at the dog, her palm still resting on Legolas’ shoulder as she had placed it there in a warning, motherly gesture, one empty bottle of beer already in front of him and he now shook his head, Sean withdrawing his hand as he was offering the second one, the look in Evelyn’s eyes making him almost shrink back. 

“No, don’t be afraid. You can pet him, if he doesn’t want to be touched, he’ll simply go away”, she said, her voice like silk as she gently rubbed Legolas’ back before removing her palm, Linda hesitantly letting her hand hover over the dog’s head and immediately taking it away as he lifted his head up. 

“Try from below, so he can see your hand”, Legolas suggested, his beautiful long hair braided on the sides and collected at the back of his head, his delicate face showing the fatigue and a lack of sleep, Arwen’s gaze flying up from her phone’s screen as she was about to show something to him. She was wearing a low-cut, light blue dress with a silver edging, her black hair down. 

There was a sigh of surprise as Linda sunk her fingers in Wolf’s thick fur, her lips stretching in a smile. 

“He’s like a bear”, she exclaimed, her hand sinking deeper and flexing in his black and fawn coat.

The dog remained still, the faithful gaze of his ice-blue eyes resting on Thranduil as he was deeply in conversation with a long-haired Latino-type man, whose name was Pete, the former’s broad arms regally spread over the garden bench’s backrest, his gaze calm and focused as he listened to what his friend was saying.

“Mhm, he’s got really thick fur. Whenever he gets too hot, he’ll step into the fountain, it is the main reason why there are still so many of them everywhere and so huge”, Evelyn chuckled, the sound of her laughter making Thranduil turn his head around and he sent her a glance, an almost invisible spark of warmth pushing through the ice as he kept his gaze fixed on her before shifting his attention back to Pete.

“Where did you get him?”, Linda asked, Evelyn frowning as she reached out her hand, her fingers closing around an almost empty bottle of wine. Having taken the cork out, she put the bottle neck to Linda’s glass, the light golden liquid filling the etched crystal in one third.

“He used to be a military dog, he took a bullet after one month of service and Thranduil got a permission to adopt him”, she said as she let the last drop fall in, Linda’s eyes widening, her hand petting the fur becoming still. 

“Thranduil? The army? How...”, she trailed off, Evelyn smiling as she pushed the cork back in and put the bottle down on the ground. “He’s a retired army officer”, she said, Linda’s eyes widening, sparks igniting in their depths. 

“I thought he was an architect?”, she whispered, Evelyn almost snorting at the conspiracy in her voice. 

There was a movement as Wolf shifted his body, his gaze indifferent as he slowly circled the stone table and unhurriedly left the green vine oasis.

“He is, he has an M. Eng. in military and civilian engineering and architecture. He attended the NMCI in Ringaskiddy”, Evelyn said as she nodded her head with a smile, Linda whistling in respect. “What’s his rank?”, she asked, Thranduil’s stentorian laughter breaking through all other sounds as he laughed at something Pete said. 

“Lieutenant-Colonel”, Evelyn chuckled, her husband’s eyes meeting hers for a split second before he looked away, his expression unreadable.

“He’s a Leo, isn’t he?”, Linda suddenly asked, Evelyn frowning. “Thranduil? No, he’s an Aries… Why?”, she muttered, Elrond laughing softly as he leaned in, an apple and a small knife resting in his hands.

“Linda’s an astrologist”, he explained, Evelyn raising one of her eyebrows as she shifted her gaze back to the blonde. “Indeed? What do you do?”, she asked, the latter tilting her head to the side as she scooped an apple skin from the table, the grassy green corresponding with her pink nails. “I’m a life coach, I advise my clients how they should proceed in their lives, depending on their zodiac signs”, she said, Evelyn opening her mouth to ask something, but that’s when the song changed to _Lemuria_ by Therion, everyone stopping mid-sentence and raising their glasses or bottles in a gesture of toast. 

Megan blinked, a smile appearing on her face as she raised her bottle too, initial notes of the song resounding.

_In the ocean, deep down_  
_Under raging waves, wrapped in memories, you'll find_  
_Wrecks of stately ships, they all went astray_

Just as the slow, melancholic melody went on, Linda tilted to the side, her earring leaning against Elrond’s hair. 

“What has just happened?”, she whispered to his ear, and he took a sip of his beer, his voice low when he spoke. “Elliot, Megan’s husband, was a fisherman, he died at sea. He was also a huge fan of Therion, we played this song during his funeral”, he said, Linda watching Megan as the latter put the bottle to her lips, Anna as she came by making her turn her head around though the two of them engaging in a conversation. 

Linda shivered, a beautiful mix of female and male voices continuing into the song.

_Captain, did you find_  
_Land of Mu, Eldorado for the seaman?_  
_Or did you sink in dreams (and) lose your ship_  
_In the Sirens' symphony?_

She shifted her gaze to Evelyn, the latter’s eyes fixed on the opposite side of the table, on a pair of ice-blue eyes as they were looking back straight into hers. 

At the same time, Anna made a disappointed face, Megan rolling her eyes as the little one left her to pad her way around the table to where Thranduil was sitting. He furrowed gently as a tiny palm tapped him on the shoulder and he turned his head around, his gaze resting on the girl’s face as she spoke, her expression serious.

“She wants to play with the kitty, but Cleo went to sleep”, Megan called to him, Anna puffing up her cheeks as she said something that sounded like _“wake up the kitty”_ , Thranduil shaking his head.

“The kitty went to sleep, ‘cause she was tired. When she wakes up, you can play with her again”, he explained in a calm voice, Anna frowning in discontent as she leaned her head against his arm, Thranduil’s gaze soft, but firm as he slowly shook his head again.

“How about we look for some flowers and make chaplets?”, Arwen suggested, Anna’s expression changing instantly as she nodded her head with enthusiasm, Arwen laughing as she lifted herself from her seat.

“Wait for me!”, Keira called as she dropped her sketchbook and a pencil under the tree, Evelyn smiling as she watched them leave.

“So much for the drama”, she chuckled, Mandy leaning out, Sean pretending to dodge her spectacular mullet as he was sitting next to her.

“Very funny...”, she snorted as everyone roared with laughter, her face holding no malice though when she turned to Linda. “Did I hear you right, saying something about being an astrologist?”, she asked, the blonde confirming with a nod of her head, Sean extending his neck.

“You’re an astrologist??”, he took interest. “Can you tell when we go on tour??”, he asked, Linda inclining her head as she contemplated an answer for a second. “You do have a band?”, she asked, Sean letting out a _pff_ sound. “Haven’t you heard about us?”, he asked surprised, Linda shaking her head. 

“ _Nobody_ heard about us, Sean”, Thranduil muttered, another wave of laughter resounding as he pinned the smaller man down to the spot with his amused gaze. 

“What is the name of your band?”, Linda asked, her eyes fixed on Thranduil and he looked back at her. “ _Battle Cry_ ”, he said before shifting his gaze to Jonathan, who started speaking, Linda frowning as she lowered her gaze, her lips silently repeating the name. 

“Seriously though, when are you planning on dropping in to The Cavern again? People are starting to ask about you, it’s been a couple of months since you played there, they wanna hear you...”, the grey-haired man said, Thanduil opening his mouth to reply when Linda suddenly jumped in her seat, her voice loud. 

“ _Elf King_!”, she called as she smiled widely. “It was your song, wasn’t it?”, she almost squealed, Thranduil confirming with a single nod of his head. “One of the lighter ones, yes”, he said, Linda raising her eyes to the sky. 

“My God, I loved it so much…”, she praised, a sudden echo of a serene, warm voice making her look in the direction it was coming from, Legolas’ eyes closed as he hummed the words of his father’s old song.

_“Come, wake the quiet rage… Come forth, destruction allied...”_ , he crooned the slow melody, Sean joining him and they sang together for a while, Sean’s arms finally shooting up. “Yes! Here’s my boy!”, he called while pointing at Legolas, Thranduil lifting one of his eyebrows up. “He’s my boy, dear friend...”, he muttered, warmth in his eyes as he fixed them on Legolas, the latter grinning in reply, Linda squinting.

“Why did you disappear so suddenly though? I only know one song of yours”, she asked, her gaze boring into Thranduil. 

Having slowly shifted his warm gaze to Evelyn, the latter’s laughing eyes staring back at him, subtle crow’s feet visible in the outer corners of her eyes, he shook his head, the remnants of warmth still lingering in his gaze before turning to usual ice as he shifted it to Linda.

“That’s ‘cause only one of our songs hit the radio”, he explained, amused confidence in his voice as he shook his hair back. “We didn’t disappear, we still do what we did”, he continued, Pete nodding his head as he listened to him, Sean inhaling slowly, his pensive gaze fixed on the table, Thranduil’s eyes resting on him, the tone of his voice changing. 

“Music is fun, it’s a way to relax, but jumping out of the recording studio into the tour bus and onto the stage over and over again is not how I wish to live my life”, he said as if he had to explain it for a thousandth time, Sean patting his back as he smiled. “I know man, I know…”, he said. “It’s just that… We could have been famous!”, he laughed, Thranuil’s rolling his eyes as he sat back, his arms spreading against the backrest again.

***

Megan leaned against the terrace door, her gaze cloudy as she fixed it on the view before her, gentle summer breeze playing with a loose strand of her hair. The sun has long ago crossed its zenith, the entire garden resounding with people’s voices.

She inhaled and blinked, a single tear escaping her eye and slowly rolling down her cheek. She wiped it with her palm, a gentle presence behind her making her shiver as two warm hands rested on her shoulders.

“You okay, kid?”, Evelyn’s melodic voice resounded next to her and she rubbed her arm with her hand, Megan shaking her head. Evelyn tilted her head to look into her face, the aiming of her sister’s gaze making her look in the same direction, her eyes resting on Thranduil.

He was leaning down to Keira as she was holding a sketchbook and a pencil in her hands, their eyes fixed on one point in the distance as he was explaining something to her. She frowned, her gaze shifting back to the sketchbook and she asked something, Thranduil nodding his head before looking down on the sketchbook as well, his eyes following the movement of her hand as she hesitantly started drawing another line. Having leaned closer, he gently took her hand in his and corrected the direction a bit, Keira still holding a pencil as he led her to finish the line.

“Look how patient he is with her, how dedicated and gentle…”, Megan said, her voice tender as she rubbed her cheek against Evelyn’s head, the latter’s chin resting in the crook of her neck. 

“You should have seen him helping Legolas with arithmetic”, she snorted. “Hectolitres of coffee and quiet growls when all he wanted was to slap the little one across the head with a textbook”, she chuckled, a baby voice coming from the left as Anna suddenly appeared within their range of sight. 

Thranduil also looked in that direction, his tall, broad-shouldered form straightening up as he smiled and reached out his hand towards her, the girl approaching him while carrying something small locked in her tiny palms. She stopped beside him, her gaze dropping to her joined hands and she said something, Thranduil crouching next to her, his warm, analytic gaze inspecting her face as he gently urged her forward, his long hair floating down his back.

“Has he ever hit Legolas?”, Megan said, Evelyn shaking her head as she clenched her teeth, her gaze hardening. “Thranduil would never lay a finger on a child.”

There was a surprised, happy squeak followed by an outburst of a baby laughter as a huge, bright-green grasshopper jumped out of Anna’s hands and landed on the grass, it’s green form hopping away towards an apple tree. 

“He himself still has a small scar on his cheek where his father’s signet cut the skin, he was seventeen at that time” she muttered as she watched Anna happily jumping around in an attempt to imitate the grasshopper, Megan frowning.

“He reminds me of a volcano simmering under a thin layer of ice”, she muttered, Evelyn lifting one of her eyebrows up as she gently withdrew from the hug, Megan inhaling. “He’s so composed all the time, so cold...”, she said, Evelyn pursing her lips as she smiled, her eyes suddenly filled with mischievous sparks. 

“Not _all_ the time, you know…”, she murmured, Megan’s heartbeat accelerating suddenly.

“I get to feel the volcano you’re speaking of quite frequently, if you know what I mean...”, Evelyn chuckled, Megan letting out a nervous laughter as she watched Anna hopping her way towards the outdoor cat enclosure. Thranduil raised himself to his full height and she blinked, his majestic form moving gracefully as he started making his way towards the house. 

“Umm… Scuse me, I think I’m gonna make sure that my youngest devil doesn’t cuddle any animal to death...”, she said as she made her way out of the terrace, Evelyn watching her walk passed Thranduil, his tall, broad-shouldered form making her feel weak at the knees as she shifted her gaze to him. 

She lifted her face and blinked slowly, a sigh escaping her when he towered over her, her cheek nestling against his chest as he wrapped her inside _her_ territory, full of his smell and resounding with the measured beating of his heart. 

They stood like this, tightly locked in their own ecosystem as they let their thoughts intermingle with each other, their little piece of the world closing everyone off – dear friends, kids, pets – if only for a moment, they were alone.

She opened her eyes and blinked a couple of times, his smell gently passing onto her skin.

“Gotta keep an eye on Legolas”, she said, her words sinking into his broad chest and he rested his cheek on the crown of her head, his arms pulling her closer.

“Why, what’s wrong?”, he murmured, his deep voice caressing her ear and she inhaled deeply, her ample breasts pushing harder against his ribcage.

“The kid hasn’t slept all night, I bet it’ll only take two more beers to get him drunk today”, she muttered as she slowly shifted her face, her nose tenderly nudging on the slit where his shirt was unbuttoned, his golden chest hairs tickling her nose. 

“Then he shouldn’t drink any more”, he simply stated and she huffed and rolled her eyes, Thranduil letting out a quiet growl as he rubbed his cheek against her hair.

“What do you want me to do?”, he asked as he lifted his head up, nestled his face in her hair and inhaled, his arms shifting gently as he traced his hands across her back, his touch firm. 

She pursed her lips, her gaze darkening as she thought of everything he could do to annihilate Tauriel, the reason why Legolas felt the way he felt, but she remained silent.

“I’m his father, not his nanny. He’s old enough to take responsibility for his own actions”, he said, Evelyn shaking her hair back as she raised her head and looked him in the eyes, the look in her hazel orbs reminding that of an angry lioness and he couldn’t help starting to get harder at the sight.

“Should have told him to dump this red-haired little witch a long time ago”, she spat, Thranduil tilting his head back as he snarled, then shook his head, one of his hands landing on her butt in a gentle slap.

“Hey, psycho-mum”, he rebuked her tenderly. 

“Tauriel’s obviously just an immature pup, but this is Legolas’ relationship, not ours and it’s his business how he deals with her”, he said, one of his arm pulling her so close she could feel his belt buckle press against her belly, another hard object as it pressed against her flesh making her slowly tilt her head back, her hair floating down her back as she looked him in the eyes, her gaze softening. 

“I love my son, but I can’t interfere in his life and I _don’t want to_ ”, he whispered, his deep gaze holding hers before he slowly leaned in, his face nestling in her neck.

“Right now...”, he said, his voice dangerously low as he started to walk her backwards, the shadow of the house slowly replacing the sunny terrace. “I would rather watch out for my own neck, if I were you...”, he murmured into her hair, Evelyn letting out a quiet cry of surprise as it was followed with laughter when he pushed her into one of their spare bathrooms and shut the door closed behind them.

“If I _ever_ spot you setting fire to Absinthe again, I’m gonna bite off these lovely fingers of yours... _one... by... one..._ ”, he whispered, his hot lips closing around her index finger, ice-blue eyes boring into hers as he started to suck. He grabbed her other hand and pinned it against the wall right above her head, the cold tiles sinking into her back as he towered over her. 

“Is it gonna hurt…?”, she whispered as she held his gaze, her heartbeat accelerating as he tightened his hold on her wrist, his teeth sinking into her flesh. She could feel his knee slowly push in between her thighs, his lips leaving her finger and he pressed her open palm to his chest as he leaned in and snuggled his face in her neck.

“You have no idea… You’re gonna beg me to stop”, he let out a growling whisper as he closed his lips on her neck and started sucking, a murmur of approval escaping him just as she let out a quiet moan. 

She smiled and bit down on her lower lip, their image as it was reflected in the mirror on the opposite wall making more wetness pool out of her.

“What if I… _still don’t obey..._?”, she whispered, the curve of his lips changing and she could tell he smiled too, a low, dangerous chuckle as it escaped his chest caressing her ear.

“Then I’m gonna take you for a ride…”

Bite.

“Deep into the forest…”

His thigh pressed against her womanhood as he licked her skin and started sucking.

“Where _nobody_ can hear you…”

His hand left hers and he took a fistful of her hair, a moan escaping her when as he started sucking harder.

“I’m gonna press you against a tree…”, he whispered in a seductive, airy voice, his heartbeat accelerating under the warm touch of her hand. “And fuck this sweet pussy of yours with my huge cock until you can’t take it any more...”

“I think I…already deserve a lesson...”, she whimpered, her voice earning harder notes and he tightened his grip on her hair, her head being gently, but firmly pressed against the wall. Having slowly withdrawn so he could see her face, he looked deep into her eyes, his still, icy gaze boring into her soul. “Swear you’ll never do that again”, he whispered, his warm breath caressing her face and she held his gaze, demand for a sincere answer set strong in the depths of his icy pools.

There was no room for games in his eyes.

“I swear”, she whispered, the depths of his cold eyes softening as he slowly leaned in, his lips sealing with hers in a sensual kiss.

“I should have probably got used to my wife being a little adrenaline junkie by now...”, he murmured, his breath significantly changed as he snuggled his face in her neck, his grip on her hair loosening a bit. 

“Come here...”, he snarled tenderly, a low chuckle escaping her as he pulled her close, one of his hands braced against the wall.

“Let me give you a lesson, my beautiful... little... _showoff..._ ”, he murmured as he started opening her jeans, and she traced her hands up and down his chest, the steel-like muscles rippling underneath the fabric of his shirt.


End file.
